All Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Services to Be Available on WhatsApp – CM Devendra Fadnavis

Unified Application for All Health Schemes to Be Introduced

Mumbai : The Maharashtra government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Meta to make various state services accessible via WhatsApp. Following this, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed that the entire Chief Minister’s Relief Fund system be made available on WhatsApp for easy access by citizens. He also instructed the creation of a single portal and a unified application for all health-related schemes.

CM Fadnavis announced that this integration would ensure all services related to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund are easily accessible through WhatsApp, making it more citizen-friendly.

A review meeting regarding the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund was held today at Sahyadri Guest House. It was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Vikas Kharge, Principal Secretary Ashwini Bhide, Secretary Dr. Shrikar Pardeshi, Head of the CM Relief Fund Cell Rameshwar Naik, and several medical professionals.

To enhance financial provisions for the CM Relief Fund, CM Fadnavis suggested that funds be sourced through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. He proposed the formation of a dedicated institution to manage and utilize CSR contributions specifically for the Relief Fund. This body would serve as an intermediary between CSR donors and the CM Relief Fund, ensuring efficient use of funds for citizen welfare. CM Fadnavis also emphasized the use of Artificial Intelligence to make the service more responsive and efficient.

He stated that maximum utilization of funds should be ensured for patient care, overcoming challenges in the current healthcare system. He recommended increasing the number of affiliated hospitals to widen access and ensuring all relevant patient data—such as which scheme (CM Relief Fund, Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, or Ayushman Bharat) a patient is eligible for, previous assistance received, and treatment details—is made available on the centralized portal.

To ensure transparency and ease of access, CM Fadnavis suggested the appointment of ‘Rugna Mitras’ (Patient Assistants) at the taluka level, the launch of a revised portal, and a toll-free helpline. He also stressed the importance of adding geo-tagging features on the portal, so patients can easily locate and access the nearest hospital for treatment.

It was also shared that as of March 31, 2025, financial assistance totaling ₹67.62 crore had been provided to 7,658 patients through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Cell.