MUMBAI: Mumbai’s reputation of a city with a large heart was further reinforced after a wada pav seller opened his heart and purse for drought-affected farmers in the state. Mangesh Ahiwale (38) met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday and handed over a Rs 20,000 cheque to him towards the CM’s drought relief fund . Fadnavis, in turn, took to Twitter and praised Ahiwale’s contribution and sensitivity towards drought-hit farmers. He tweeted: “In a great gesture of humanity, a wada pav seller Mangesh Ahiwale met & contributed Rs 20,000 for CM Relief Fund... On 11th October, he announced that he will donate complete earnings from that day towards relief measures for drought-hit farmers...For this he sold wada pav for Rs 5 instead of Rs 12 that day. I appreciate his sensitivity towards society. Really touched by his kindness.” Ahiwale, who runs a wada pav stall neat Parel ST depot and lives in a nearby chawl, told TOI : “I have always wanted to give back to society in some way. After reading about the sad instances of farmers killing themselves over drought, I decided to contribute to this cause.” He now plans to contribute Rs 1 lakh for the fund. His bend towards social causes comes from his father, a retired BEST employee who always believed in sharing from their meager earnings with the needy. Ahiwale worked in a private company before starting the stall. “It’s not how much you have contributed, the thought of sharing your earnings is important. Sensitivity towards the needy and readiness to help them is what I have been taught,” said Ahiwale, the sole earning member of his familyand father to a 10-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. The household is used to seeing Ahiwale sell a wada pav for less than half the rate at just Rs 5 instead of Rs 12, and sometimes even free to mark special occasions such as Independence Day, Republic Day and Ambedkar Jayanti. “I know I make losses this way but then this is my way of helping society with the few means I have,” said Ahiwale. “I have been born and brought up in the city. I cannot even imagine what it must be for a farmer to lose his crop and commit suicide. I will try and raise as much money I can to help such families. My next target would be Rs 1 lakh.”