The Chief Minister’s Relief Fund received an unprecedented infusion when senior IAS and IPS officers collectively pledged the value of a single day's October 2026 salary on 14 October 2026, the same day the Relief and Rehabilitation Department officially listed 305 talukas as drought‑affected.
The declaration came amid a crippling water crisis that has left thousands of farmers in Maharashtra unable to irrigate crops or sustain livestock. In response, the state government rolled out a suite of relief measures: full exemption from land revenue, restructuring of crop loans, an immediate halt to all agricultural loan recoveries, special concessions on electricity bills for pump usage, and a waiver of examination fees for students from the affected zones.
Political support followed swiftly. MLA Shekhar Nikam of Chiplun‑Sangameshwar deposited a cheque equal to his one‑month basic salary to Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, while MLA Rohit Pawar called for direct financial aid of at least ₹50,000 per hectare for farmers and ₹25,000 for agricultural labourers.
The officers formally submitted a letter to the state government detailing the donation, and the CM’s office confirmed the funds will be credited to the Relief Fund. The government is now preparing to channel the concessions and disburse the relief to the 305 affected talukas in the coming weeks.