Maharashtra CM’s relief fund earns 40 crore interest, has helped over 22,000 people in last 5 years: RTI
Swades Foundation NGO contributing Rs 15 lakh towards Maharashtra CM’s relief fund in March
The Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Relief Fund has fixed deposits of Rs 574 crore, which attract an interest of over Rs 40 crore and has aided more than 22,000 people in the last five years, a RTI query has revealed.
The information was sought by RTI activist Anil Galgali.
According to information given to Galgali, the CM Relief Fund, as on May 2, has fixed deposits of Rs 574.57 crore in eight banks and earns an interest of Rs 41.63 crore (Rs 41,63,53,519).
The CM office, in its reply, also said that the deposits were maintained in State Bank of India and seven other private banks.
More than 22,000 people have availed financial assistance from this fund during the last five years, it said.
Galgali had last week sought varied information about the CM Relief Fund from January 1, 2005 till date. The response to his RTI query said that an aid of Rs 242.53 crore was disbursed to 22,633 people through this fund in the last 58 months.
It was also informed that a fire in the Mantralaya (Secretariat) on June 21, 2012 destroyed all documents related to the Relief Fund and hence information can be made available only from June 22, 2012 to March 30, 2017.
All the information related to the fund prior to this period shall be provided only after audit, which is pending, it said.
This monetary assistance is provided as per stipulated guidelines on fulfilment of certain norms for the fund disbursal.
Out of the 22,633 fund beneficiaries, 21,943 people received medical aid of Rs 183,15,00,930 while 690 people received a total sum of Rs 59,37,86,710 for varied reasons including cases of accidental deaths, artificial organ transplants and fire victims.
Apart from medical aid, other cases are considered on request as per their importance and priority in accordance with directions given by the Chief Minister. Otherwise they are put on hold.
Out of total applications received for medical aid during this period (2012-17), about 3,161 of them were rejected.
With agency inputs
