Maharashtra is poised to be the first state in India to get permission to receive overseas funding for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF). According to sources in Mantralaya, the state government has written a letter to the Government of India (GoI) asking it to allow it to receive funds from major overseas institutes, organisations and foreign nationals of Indian origin. In a reply to a query sent over text, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has confirmed this development to mid-day.
An official attached to the chief minister’s office (CMO) on the condition of anonymity said, “Within a month, we are hopeful of getting the nod from the Union government.” Meanwhile, a Mantralaya official said, “The funds received under the CMRF will be used for crisis management [during natural calamities such as droughts and earthquakes as well as for providing health services for the needy].”
At present, the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010, regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions. Hence, any charitable trust, organisation or the government needs the Ministry of Home Affairs’ permission to receive funds or donated materials from abroad. Those working with the CMRF claimed that in 2019—during Fadnavis’s first term as CM—the relief fund had almost run out of money. Fadnavis held a meeting with top industrialists to raise funds used for providing financial assistance to the needy. “I remember, within 24 hours of the meeting, R10 crore was raised,” said a Mantralaya official.
In 2015-16, nearly 48,500 patients received financial assistance from the relief fund. The total outgo was pegged around R33 crore. But, gradually the applications started rising and in 2016-17 and 2017-18, the total amount disbursed for medical emergencies was said to be R140 crore and R150 crore, respectively.
Now, in 2024-25, the outgo has doubled to Rs 300 crore. No wonder, learning from the past, Fadnavis is attempting to raise funds from overseas to meet the money requirement. “The CMRF functions on donations it receives annually. But, more and more people are applying for financial assistance from it. To ensure that maximum needy people are benefitted, the government decided to work out modalities that will help to increase receivables. Tapping foreign funding was one of the ideas that was discussed and is in the process of approval,” Rameshwar Naik, head of the CMRF, said.
Emergency assistance
Registered in 1967 with the charity commissioner, the CMRF is an emergency assistance scheme for granting relief to families and individuals affected by natural calamities or loss of life due to accidents or for medical treatment.
As per the rules, once an application for assistance from the CMRF is approved, the beneficiary cannot claim relief from the same fund for the next three years. “The rule has been implemented to prevent repeated claims within a short period,” the official said.
On average, the CMRF office receives 600 applications daily, with only 250 to 300 being cleared per day. Every year, the average disbursement from the CMRF to needy people is pegged at around Rs 300 crore. “Once permission for receiving foreign funding is given, a multifold rise in the number of applications and disbursements will be witnessed,” the official said.
