The Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi in Ahmednagar district has announced it would give ₹51 crore to the State government to augment its efforts to combat COVID-19. On Friday, the trust’s CEO Arun Dongre said the ad hoc committee of the trust has decided to donate ₹51 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

“The Central and State governments have geared up to take on the novel coronavirus which is wreaking havoc all over the world. The trust has always come forward to help both governments in times of natural calamities and national disasters,” Mr. Dongre said, recalling the trust’s contributions at the time of the deluge in western Maharashtra last year as well as towards the families of the soldiers martyred in the Pulwama terror strike.

In the backdrop of surging COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, the trust has already commenced activities to bring relief to personnel such as district police personnel and other workers on the frontlines of the fight against the virus by providing them with food packets for breakfast and lunch.

Meanwhile, the Temple Management Trust in Kolhapur, which manages the famous Mahalaxmi Temple, has announced a donation of ₹2 crore, of which ₹1.5 crore would be given to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in the State’s fight against COVID-19.

“The remaining ₹50 lakh will be given to the Kolhapur District Collector, of which ₹25 lakh will be utilised for improving rural health infrastructure, while the other ₹25 lakh will be for improving the facilities at the district’s CPR hospital, where COVID-19 cases are being treated,” said the trust’s officials.