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].”