Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has extended a medical assistance of Rs 22 crore to 4932 needy citizens and another Rs 9 crore as financial assistance to the families of those killed in natural calamities and road accidents during the first 22 months of tenure in office, according to an RTI reply.
Responding to an Right to Information (RTI) query raised by social activist Anil Galgali, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that of the total Rs 130 crore deposited in the chief minister’s relief fund since November 28, 2019 when the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was sworn into the office, a total of Rs 31 crore had been extended assistance to the needy citizens.
“Of the Rs 130 crore deposited in CM’s Relief Fund, Rs 31 crore was spent towards extending assistance to citizens as on September 30,2021. Another Rs 99 crore is lying unused in the fund,” the CMO said in a reply given to Galgali on November 15, 2021.
The Chief Minister’s Relief fund is meant for providing immediate relief to the people in distress in the state. It provides financial assistance to the people affected by the major natural calamities like flood, drought and fire accidents. It also provides financial assistance to the economically weaker citizens for treatment of some of the major diseases.
According to the RTI reply, the CMO has been giving financial assistance to 8 citizens per day on an average.“We distributed Rs 22 crore to 4932 citizens in 22 months for medical purposes, while another Rs 9 crore to the next of kin of those killed in natural calamities.