Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government disbursed a whopping Rs 400 crore through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) in the last one year, thereby helping scores of families in the State.

Through the CMRF, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu extended substantial aid to those suffering from serious health conditions. This financial assistance benefitted those who were not covered under the NTR Vaidya Seva scheme. Unlike any previous government, Naidu has allocated massive funds through CMRF, standing by the people in need, officials say.

Compared to 2014, the state’s financial situation in 2024 is in bad shape. “The government is struggling to pay even small bills. Despite this, it is balancing welfare schemes and development programmes, launching several initiatives within just one year. In this context, the Chief Minister has been providing aid through CMRF without hesitation. A significant portion of the petitions and grievances submitted to the CM involve requests for CMRF assistance. Recognizing the importance of this, the Chief Minister has established a mechanism to resolve petitions within hours or days,” an official told Hans India

For those treated in private hospitals for critical illnesses, the government reimburses expenses through the CMRF. Many families are being financially devastated by unexpected health crises.

In such cases, people apply for aid either directly or through MLAs. Poor families who fall into debt due to major illnesses are greatly benefiting from the CMRF’s support.

According to available statistics, the state government in undivided Andhra Pradesh spent only Rs 758 crore under the CMRF from 2004 to 2014. But after taking over as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 post-bifurcation, Chandrababu provided Rs 1,533 crore through CMRF over five years, benefiting 2,23,742 individuals across 13 districts. This amount was more than what three Chief Ministers provided over 10 years in the united AP.

However, when the YSRCP government came to power in 2019, the support from the CMRF declined sharply. Due to lack of access to the Chief Minister’s Office, lack of a system for collecting petitions, absence of MLA appointments, and a generally closed-door approach, most applications did not even reach CM's desk. Between 2019 and 2024, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the then chief minister, released only Rs 897 crore through the CMRF.

After returning to power for the fourth time in 2024 with a historic mandate, Naidu started allocating more funds for CMRF. The Chief Minister is also meeting common citizens daily at the Secretariat, personally receiving petitions. Whether at the party office or during district visits, wherever he receives petitions, he immediately instructs officials to act on them. As a result, within just one year, Chandrababu sanctioned around Rs 400 through the CMRF, benefiting 35,000 individuals. Depending on the severity of the medical condition, Letters of Credit (LOCs) are issued immediately to ensure timely treatment. Based on the family’s financial condition and the seriousness of the illness, amounts ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 30 lakh are being disbursed to poor people. In the past year alone, 3,354 people have received LoCs worth Rs 89 crore.

TDP state president Palla Srinivasa Rao said the Chief Minister took initiative to help ailing people through CMRF funds. He said poor and middle-class families suffer heavily and fall into debt traps due to health issues. Therefore, the Chief Minister is personally disbursing CMRF cheques to the family members of ailing people including those above poverty line. Citing an example, he said that he handed over a cheque for Rs 20 lakh from the CMRF to a poor man in his constituency, Gajuwaka, in Visakhapatnam.

Thanking the Chief Minister for sanctioning financial assistance under the CMRF, B Rajeswari, a senior citizen and resident of Vijayawada, who underwent an operation, opined that the timely help from the Chief Minister saved her life.