A cooperative sugar mill stepped up for Maharashtra's drought-stricken farmers on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, when Dharmaraj Kadadi, representing Shri Siddeshwar Sahakari Karkhana Limited, handed a cheque of ₹25,00,000 to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai — channelling the donation directly into the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (Mukhyamantri Sahayata Nidhi) for farmer welfare.

A cooperative's ₹25 lakh commitment to drought-hit Maharashtra

The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra confirmed that the cheque, worth twenty-five lakh rupees, was presented at a formal ceremony in Mumbai. CM Fadnavis personally thanked Kadadi and the cooperative for the gesture. MLA Sachin Kalyanshetti and other dignitaries were present at the occasion.

The post, shared in Marathi, notes that the donation is specifically earmarked for the relief of drought-affected farmers — 'दुष्काळग्रस्त शेतकऱ्यांच्या मदतीसाठी' (for the assistance of drought-hit farmers) — underlining that the contribution is targeted, not a general fund infusion.

How the Chief Minister's Relief Fund works for calamity response

The Chief Minister's Relief Fund is Maharashtra's primary channel for pooling public and private donations during natural calamities. When drought is declared across districts — particularly in the state's semi-arid and rain-shadow belt — the fund enables rapid disbursement of assistance to identified farm households, bypassing slower budgetary routes.

Maharashtra's cooperative sector, built on the backbone of sugar mills and credit societies, has a long tradition of contributing to such funds in distress years. This donation from Shri Siddeshwar Sahakari Karkhana Limited fits squarely into that pattern — a cooperative turning its surplus capacity into community relief.

Why this donation matters for farmers on the ground

Recurrent drought conditions in Maharashtra's interior districts leave farmers exposed to crop failure and debt cycles. Successive state governments have leaned on the Mukhyamantri Sahayata Nidhi to bridge the gap between slow central disbursements and immediate ground-level need. Contributions like this ₹25 lakh cheque supplement the state's own allocations — every rupee raised outside the budget is a rupee the government can redirect to a family that cannot wait.

The eyes now turn to how swiftly the fund's administrators identify and reach the beneficiaries — and whether this donation triggers a wider institutional giving drive ahead of any fresh drought declaration this season.