Mumbai, Apr 30 (IANS): The Nationalist Congress Party and its Nationalist Welfare Trust have donated Rs 1 crore each to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Relief Fund (CMRF) for Covid-19 and the upcoming vaccination programme, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced here on Friday.

A delegation led by Pawar, state NCP President Jayant Patil, MP Supriya Sule, NCP Youth President Mehboob Shaikh, Shivajirao Garje, and Aditi Nalavade met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and handed over the amount.

"As per the guidance of NCP President Sharad Pawar, all the party legislators and parliamentarians have decided to forego their one month's salaries and donate it to the CMRF for the mega-vaccination drive of the 18-44 age group starting from May," Pawar said.

He said that the state is in the grip of a severe Covid-19 crisis but despite the financial constraints, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government has decided to make the Covid vaccination jab free for all the citizens in the 18-44 age group.

The move came a day after the Maharashtra Congress donated Rs 500,000, while all party legislators donated one month's salary besides the Congress Legislature Party Leader and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat donated his one-year's emoluments, totalling to around Rs 2 crore, to the CMRF.