Mumbai: In a benevolent gesture, eight-year-old Nagpur resident Rashika Joshi, met Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and donated her piggy bank savings to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for drought-affected farmers.
"Rashika is a big fan of Bollywood actor Aamir Khan. After she saw the actor's pictures with the CM, she asked me what was the actor doing with him. I explained to her that he (Aamir) is giving a cheque to the CM for his relief fund which would help farmers who lost their crops due to the ongoing drought," Manoj Joshi, Rashika's father, told PTI on Sunday.
"Later, she asked if her photographs too would get clicked if she donated money to help farmers. After I gave her an affirmative reply, she decided to donate her piggy bank savings and help drought-hit farmers," he said.
Joshi said that he was out of town when his neighbours took his daughter Rashika Joshi to meet the CM, adding that he was pleasantly surprised by Fadnavis's response to his daughter.
The Maharashtra chief minister said that he was "touched" by Rashika's gesture and that her donated piggy bank savings would certainly reach farmers and help them, no matter how small the amount.
"I am touched by Rashika Manoj Joshi's surprise contribution. She has donated her piggy bank savings for farmers' welfare," Fadnavis said.
Meanwhile, substantial rains during the last three days in the Marathwada region has resolved the problem for drinking water and other requirement to a large extent.
Aurangabad, Jalna, Parbhani, Hingoli and Nanded received good rainfall, while Latur, Osmanabad and Beed continue to remain comparatively dry.
