CM Fadnavis receives ₹1.51 lakh cheque for drought-hit farmers
Synopsis
The Agricultural Produce Market Committee of Paithan, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, donated ₹1,51,000 to Maharashtra's Chief Minister's Relief Fund for drought-hit farmers. MLA Vilas Bhumare presented the cheque to CM Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on 29 September 2026.
Key Takeaways
₹1,51,000 donated to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for drought-affected farmers.
Donation made by APMC Paithan , Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district , via MLA Vilas Bhumare .
Cheque presented to CM Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on 29 September 2026 .
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is part of Marathwada, one of Maharashtra's most drought-prone regions.
Maharashtra's Chief Minister's Relief Fund has historically been the state's primary instrument for drought assistance in Marathwada and Vidarbha.
A market committee from drought-prone Marathwada stepped forward on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, putting institutional solidarity behind individual farmer distress — the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), Paithan, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, handed a cheque of ₹1,51,000 to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, earmarked specifically for drought-affected farmers.
MLA Bhumare presents the cheque on behalf of Paithan APMC
MLA Vilas Bhumare personally handed over the donation cheque to CM Fadnavis on behalf of the Paithan market committee. The Chief Minister's Office confirmed that Fadnavis thanked Bhumare and the APMC for the contribution. The gesture signals that agricultural trade bodies in the region are actively channelling resources toward the state's formal relief apparatus rather than operating in parallel.
Why Marathwada's drought burden keeps returning
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar — the district that hosts Paithan town — sits squarely in Marathwada, one of Maharashtra's most persistently water-scarce zones. Erratic monsoons, depleted reservoirs, and rain-shadow geography have made drought a near-cyclical reality here, battering crop yields and rural incomes season after season. Maharashtra governments have long used the Chief Minister's Relief Fund as a first-response instrument during such events, channelling contributions from institutions, corporates, and individuals into direct farmer assistance — a pattern that stretches back through the severe 2014–2016 droughts that scorched both Marathwada and Vidarbha.
APMCs as nodes of farmer solidarity
Agricultural Produce Market Committees occupy a unique position in Maharashtra's rural economy: they regulate trade, set market norms, and collect levies from farmers and traders alike. When an APMC like Paithan's routes a portion of its resources into a state relief fund, it closes a loop — money generated through agricultural commerce flows back to the farmers who generated it. It is a small sum against the scale of drought damage, but the institutional signal matters. Watch for official updates on how the fund's accumulated corpus is disbursed to affected households across the district.
Point of View
Particularly in Marathwada. For CM Fadnavis, publicly acknowledging such contributions reinforces his administration's farmer-welfare optics ahead of any potential district-level drought declarations. The modest sum underscores that the real story is not the quantum of money but the institutional participation — APMCs endorsing the state's relief architecture carries political and symbolic weight beyond the cheque itself. The key question remains whether the accumulated fund corpus translates into timely, verifiable disbursements at the farm-household level.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Chief Minister's Relief Fund in Maharashtra?
The Chief Minister's Relief Fund is a Maharashtra state government fund used to provide financial assistance to people affected by natural calamities such as droughts, floods, and other disasters, including direct support to distressed farmers.
Who donated to CM Fadnavis's relief fund for drought farmers?
The Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) of Paithan, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, donated ₹1,51,000. MLA Vilas Bhumare presented the cheque to CM Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on 29 September 2026.
Why is Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar drought-prone?
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is located in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, which faces persistent water scarcity due to erratic monsoons, rain-shadow geography, and depleted reservoirs, making drought a near-cyclical challenge for farmers there.
What is the role of an APMC in Maharashtra?
Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) in Maharashtra regulate the trade of agricultural produce, set market norms, and collect levies. They also undertake farmer-support activities, including contributing to state relief funds during crises.
How does Maharashtra use the CM Relief Fund for drought assistance?
Maharashtra channels contributions from institutions, corporations, and individuals into the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, which is then disbursed as direct assistance to farmers and communities hit by drought — a mechanism used prominently during events like the 2014–2016 Marathwada droughts.
