MLA Kathore hands CM Fadnavis ₹35.23 lakh for drought farmers
Synopsis
MLA Kisan Kathore presented Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with two cheques totalling ₹35,23,730 at Mumbai — from Mahaganapatī Devasthān Badlapur and Thane Palghar District Central Cooperative Bank employees — for deposit into the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for drought-affected farmers in Maharashtra.
Key Takeaways
₹35,23,730 in total donations received by CM Devendra Fadnavis for the Mukhyamantri Sahāyatā Nidhi on 9 November 2026 .
Mahaganapatī Devasthān, Badlapur contributed ₹1,00,000 through MLA Kisan Kathore .
Thane Palghar District Central Cooperative Bank employees, alongside Arun Kathore Patil , contributed ₹34,23,730 .
Funds are directed to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for relief to drought-affected farmers across Maharashtra.
CM Fadnavis personally thanked the contributors at the Mumbai event.
More than ₹35 lakh flowed toward Maharashtra's drought-stricken farmers on Monday, 9 November 2026, as temple trusts and cooperative bank employees joined hands to channel relief through the state's most direct lifeline for agrarian distress. The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra announced that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis received donation cheques at Mumbai and personally thanked the contributors.
Two cheques, one common cause
MLA Kisan Kathore presented two separate cheques to CM Fadnavis. The first — worth ₹1,00,000 — came on behalf of Mahaganapatī Devasthān, Badlapur, a religious trust contributing to public welfare. The second, and far larger, cheque of ₹34,23,730 was handed over on behalf of employees of the Thane Palghar District Central Cooperative Bank, alongside Arun Kathore Patil. Together, the two donations add up to ₹35,23,730 — deposited entirely into the Mukhyamantri Sahāyatā Nidhi (Chief Minister's Relief Fund), the state's designated pool for natural calamity aid.Maharashtra's drought and the relief fund mechanism
Maharashtra is no stranger to recurring drought cycles, with large swathes of the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions periodically facing acute water and crop stress. The Chief Minister's Relief Fund serves as a first-response financial reservoir — supplementing state budget allocations with voluntary contributions from institutions, public bodies, and civil society. Cooperative banks and temple trusts have been consistent contributors to this mechanism, their participation reflecting a civic tradition of pooling community resources when farmers face the worst. The Thane Palghar District Central Cooperative Bank, which operates across two of Maharashtra's rapidly urbanising yet still agriculturally significant districts, mobilising its own staff to donate underscores how deep the concern for rural distress runs even in peri-urban institutions.Fadnavis receives cheques, offers thanks
The Chief Minister's Office noted that CM Fadnavis expressed his gratitude to MLA Kathore, Arun Kathore Patil, and the bank employees for their contribution. While the gesture is ceremonial in form, its function is substantive — every cheque deposited expands the fund's capacity to deliver direct relief to farmers before formal government disbursements can be processed through the revenue administration chain. The question now is how swiftly the accumulated fund reaches the specific districts hardest hit this season — and whether this round of contributions prompts parallel donations from other cooperative institutions across the state.Point of View
Publicly receiving such cheques is as much a governance signal as it is a fundraising act, demonstrating that relief mobilisation extends beyond the state budget. The scale of the cooperative bank employees' contribution — over ₹34 lakh from staff, not institutional funds — reflects genuine on-the-ground anxiety about the agrarian crisis. Watched at the district level, the real test is the speed and transparency of how these pooled funds translate into payments to individual farmers.
NationPress
9 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund?
The Chief Minister's Relief Fund (Mukhyamantri Sahāyatā Nidhi) is a state-managed fund in Maharashtra that receives voluntary donations from individuals, institutions, and organisations to provide immediate financial relief to victims of natural calamities, including drought-affected farmers.
How much was donated to CM Fadnavis for drought relief on 9 November 2026?
A total of ₹35,23,730 was donated — ₹1,00,000 from Mahaganapatī Devasthān, Badlapur, and ₹34,23,730 from employees of the Thane Palghar District Central Cooperative Bank.
Who is MLA Kisan Kathore?
Kisan Kathore is a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Maharashtra who presented the donation cheques to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on behalf of the Badlapur temple trust and the cooperative bank employees.
Which areas does the Thane Palghar District Central Cooperative Bank serve?
The Thane Palghar District Central Cooperative Bank operates across Thane and Palghar districts in Maharashtra, two regions that are rapidly urbanising but still have significant agricultural communities.
How does Maharashtra use donations to the CM Relief Fund for farmers?
Donations to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund supplement state budget allocations and are deployed for immediate agricultural distress relief, helping drought-affected farmers receive aid before formal government disbursements clear the revenue administration process.
