Mumbai: The state govt has decided that the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) can now be used to provide assistance to Maharashtrian organisations outside Maharashtra as well.Earlier, the state govt decided to provide assistance to 865 villages in the Maharashtra-Karnataka border area from the relief fund. This included aid to social, educational, cultural, charitable, or similar institutions and semi-govt institutions and organisations in the state of Maharashtra, at the Chief Minister’s discretion. “After that, the assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund was also demanded by charitable institutions outside the state. The state govt finally took a decision in this regard,” an official said.The General Administration Department (GAD) issued a Govt Resolution (GR) giving the Chief Minister the sole authority to provide financial assistance to the organisations of the original Maharashtrian community outside the state for unique and innovative work.“The Chief Minister shall have all the powers to provide financial assistance from the CMRF for institutions of the Maharashtrian community outside the state of Maharashtra for their distinctive and innovative work. The Chief Minister shall have the power to provide relaxations as required regarding the terms and conditions,” the GR stated.CMRF is a public trust established in 1967 to provide financial assistance for natural disasters, major accidents, and medical treatment for the indigent. In May 2025, the Maharashtra CMRF became the first state relief body in India to receive a Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) certificate, allowing it to receive donations from international sources.
