NMC to cut one day's October pay of all staff for Chief Minister's drought relief fund

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has ordered that a day's pay be cut from the October salary of every one of its officers and employees. The money will go to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, to help farmers hit by the severe drought in the state. The administration describes the step as a humanitarian gesture, but it will be enforced strictly.

The order is contained in a special circular from the General Administration Department, signed by Municipal Commissioner Dr Vipin Itankar. The circular says the action follows a government circular. The state government is running a large relief campaign for drought-affected farmers, and as part of it the corporation's staff had earlier been asked to give a day's pay of their own free will.

This time the approach is different. Contributions will not be solicited. An amount equal to one day's pay will be taken straight out of the regular salary for October 2026, and only what remains will be credited to the bank account of the officer or employee concerned.

Staff who object to the cut must put it in writing, using the format prescribed by the government, and hand it in through the head of their department. They have only two days to do so. Anyone who does not object within that period will be taken to have no objection to the donation, and further steps will follow government procedure.

The circular also gives instructions to the Accounts and Finance Department. It must deposit the sum collected from across the corporation in the authorised bank account of the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Once that is done, the deposit receipt and the complete list of donors have to be sent to the government within the stipulated time. So that donors can claim income tax benefit, their details must be compiled before November 25, 2026.

All heads of departments, assistant commissioners and heads of offices have been told to pass the order on to every officer and employee working under them and to see that it is followed in full. In practice, the burden of this relief effort for drought-hit farmers will fall on each member of the corporation's staff, and every department will have to maintain a record of the exercise.