CM’s appeal evokes little response

Deshmukh’s relief fund gets Rs5 lakh

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s appeal to his followers — of donating into the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund instead of showering him with gifts on occasion of his 62nd birthday on May 26 — has earned very little response. Deshmukh’s appeal, which came a week before his birthday, has accumulated only Rs5 lakh in last two weeks.

The CM’s office released the figures accumulated in the Fund in last two weeks. The highest amount of donation is Rs1 lakh by Maker Development Services, followed by Lokhandwala Infrastructure (Rs51,000) and KM Deshmukh (Rs50,000). Also, cheques of Rs1.5 lakh were handed over to Deshmukh by his close associates and MLAs Ulhas Pawar, Balasaheb Shivarkar and others. The amount of donation to the fund last year on the occasion of Deshmukh’s birthday was Rs10lakh.
An official from CMO said, “We are still receiving the donations and the amount could go further, even beyond last year’s figure.”