Mumbai, December 7: The Shirdi Saibaba Temple Trust has donated Rs 50 crore to the chief minister's relief fund, reported The Times of India. The Sai Baba temple trust, which is among the richest temples in India, also opened its treasure door and contributed Rs 71 crore for the upkeep and maintenance of government medical colleges in the state. Shirdi Sai Baba 100th Maha Samadhi Day: Schedule of Celebrations at Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi From October 17 to 19.

According to the report, the Sai Trust held a meeting on November 1, 2018, and decided to donate Rs 50 crore to the Chief Minister's relief fund. The Sai trust had also provided a loan of Rs 500 crore to the water resources department for completing the pending work related to the Nilwande dam in Ahmednagar. Maharashtra: Shirdi Saibaba Trust Gives Rs 500 Crore for Construction of Nilwande Dam on Pravara River.

The law and judiciary department on November 6, following the decision by the Sai Board Trust, approved the proposal.

A board official was quoted as saying by the paper that the Sai Board is providing financial help of up to Rs 3 lakh to persons suffering from various ailments like heart diseases, and cancer of the brain and kidney.

The Chief Minister's relief fund is also used in the times of calamities and at times of emergency. The money is also used in the treatment of people from economically weaker section of the society suffering from serious ailments and diseases.

The report also quoted an official saying that the increase in the amount of monetary help to patients had gone up from Rs 25,000 to Rs 3 lakh. The substantial increase, which was Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's decision, has resulted in a sudden and sharp rise in the number of applications.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 07, 2018 03:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).