How to apply for CM Relief Fund medical assistance — complete 2026 guide

CMRFs are state-administered discretionary funds. The CM is the chairperson. Money comes from public donations (largely tax-deductible under §80G of the Income Tax Act) + occasional state Budget allocations. Each state runs CMRF on its own rules — there is no national uniform format. Tamil Nadu CMRF, Kerala CMDRF, Gujarat CMRF and Maharashtra CMRF are particularly active for medical cases (issuing 50,000 - 1.5 lakh sanctions a year).

A CMRF is the state government's parallel to PMNRF — discretionary, lump-sum, tax-free, paid directly to the hospital. Most states process CMRF medical applications faster than PMNRF (15-60 days typical) because the routing chain is shorter (district → state → CM secretariat).

State CMRF portals + names:

• Tamil Nadu — CMRF (https://cmrf.tn.gov.in) — also: CMCHIS for parallel insurance
• Maharashtra — CMRF (https://cmrf.maharashtra.gov.in) — Mukhyamantri Sahayata Nidhi
• Karnataka — CMRF (https://cmrf.karnataka.gov.in)
• Gujarat — Mukhyamantri Rahat Nidhi (https://cmrf.gujarat.gov.in)
• Kerala — Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund / CMDRF (https://kerala.gov.in/cmdrf)
• Telangana — CMRF (https://cmrf.telangana.gov.in)
• Andhra Pradesh — CMRF (https://www.apcmrf.ap.gov.in)
• Uttar Pradesh — Mukhyamantri Vivekadhin Sahayata Kosh (https://crf.up.gov.in)
• West Bengal — CMRF (https://cmrf.wb.gov.in)
• Rajasthan — CM Relief Fund (https://crfm.rajasthan.gov.in)
• Madhya Pradesh — CMRF (https://cmhelpline.mp.gov.in)
• Punjab — CMRF (https://cmrfpb.punjab.gov.in)
• Haryana — CMRF (https://cmrf.haryana.gov.in)
• Bihar — Mukhyamantri Rahat Kosh (https://cmrf.bih.nic.in)
• Odisha — CMRF (https://cmrf.odisha.gov.in)
• Delhi — CMRF (https://cmrelieffund.delhi.gov.in)

States like Sikkim, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya etc. accept paper-only applications via the CMO secretariat.

• Open your state's CMRF portal (list above) and read the eligibility section.
• Note the annual income ceiling — varies by state:
  • Tamil Nadu: ₹3 lakh
  • Maharashtra: ₹1.6 lakh urban / ₹1 lakh rural
  • Karnataka: ₹1.5 lakh
  • Gujarat: ₹2.5 lakh
  • Kerala: ₹3 lakh
  • Telangana / AP: ₹3 lakh
  • UP / Bihar: ₹2 lakh
  • Punjab: ₹3 lakh
• Note the list of covered ailments — generally cancer, heart, kidney, liver, accident, brain/spine, severe burn, paediatric congenital. Some states (Kerala, TN) also cover rare diseases.
• Note the maximum sanction cap — state-wise, ₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh per case.

• From the Civil Surgeon / HOD / Senior Consultant at the treating hospital.
• On hospital letterhead, with diagnosis (ICD-10), recommended treatment, itemised cost estimate, and the doctor's signature + stamp.
• For private hospitals, ensure the hospital is state-empanelled (most CMRFs only sanction at empanelled / government hospitals — check state portal's hospital list).
• Usually 4 photocopies required.

• Income certificate from Tahsildar / Revenue Inspector / Block Officer — apply via state e-District portal (e-Sevai TN, Aaple Sarkar Maharashtra, Nadakacheri Karnataka, Digital Gujarat, e-District UP, etc.).
• Must explicitly state annual income figure.
• Carry ration card (NFSA Priority / Antyodaya) — accepted as additional income proof in most states.
• Some states accept MGNREGA jobcard with wage history as supplementary proof.

Online route (preferred where available):

• Open the state CMRF portal → “Apply” / “New Application”.
• Register with mobile + Aadhaar OTP.
• Fill patient details, disease, hospital, estimate amount, family income, contact.
• Upload PDFs / JPEGs (under 1-2 MB each):
  • Doctor's certificate + cost estimate
  • Income certificate
  • Aadhaar (patient + applicant)
  • Ration card
  • Hospital admission / discharge slip
  • 2 photos
  • Cancelled cheque
  • MLA / MP / Minister recommendation (if available — speeds up processing)
• Submit → note the application / token number. You will get an SMS.

Offline route:

• Take the same documents to the District Collectorate Health Branch OR your MLA's constituency office OR the CM's public grievance cell in the state capital.
• Get an inward stamp on your acknowledgement copy.

This is the single biggest accelerator in CMRF processing. Almost all states (especially TN, Maharashtra, Karnataka, UP, Bihar, WB) prioritise files with a sitting MLA / MP / Minister recommendation.

• Visit your constituency MLA's office with the application + acknowledgement.
• Ask for a one-page recommendation on MLA letterhead, addressed to the CM, requesting expedited consideration.
• Many MLAs have a dedicated “constituency grievance cell” that submits these directly to the CMO / Health Secretary.
• If your MLA is from the ruling party, this typically cuts processing time by 50-70%.
• MP recommendations also work, especially for central PSUs / military / pensioner cases.

• The Collectorate Health Branch or DHO (District Health Officer) verifies your medical + income documents.
• The CMO / Civil Surgeon of the treating hospital re-confirms the cost estimate.
• The verified file is sent to the State Health Secretariat or directly to the CM Secretariat (CMO) depending on state structure.

• Status check: state CMRF portal → “Track Application” with token number.
• SMS notifications at each stage in most states.
• Respond to portal queries within 7-15 days (additional document, hospital re-confirmation).
• Sanction order issued by the Health Secretary / CM Secretariat — typical sanction time: 15-90 days.

• Sanction is paid as a demand draft addressed to the hospital in the patient's name (or direct bank transfer to hospital account in digitised states like TN, Kerala, Karnataka).
• Hand over to the hospital accounts → get a stamped utilisation receipt.
• The hospital files a utilisation certificate with the state Health Department.
• Keep all receipts for any future RAN / PMNRF / insurance claim.

+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+------------------+
| State       | Income ceiling    | Max grant| Process  | Portal           |
+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+------------------+
| Tamil Nadu  | ₹3 lakh / yr      | ₹5 lakh  | 30-45 d  | cmrf.tn.gov.in   |
| Maharashtra | ₹1.6 L urban /    | ₹3 lakh  | 30-60 d  | cmrf.mah...      |
|             | ₹1 L rural        |          |          |                  |
| Karnataka   | ₹1.5 lakh / yr    | ₹2 lakh  | 30-60 d  | cmrf.kar...      |
| Gujarat     | ₹2.5 lakh / yr    | ₹3 lakh  | 30-60 d  | cmrf.gujarat...  |
| Kerala      | ₹3 lakh / yr      | ₹3 lakh  | 30-45 d  | kerala.gov/cmdrf |
| Telangana   | ₹3 lakh / yr      | ₹2 lakh  | 30-60 d  | cmrf.tg...       |
| AP          | ₹3 lakh / yr      | ₹2 lakh  | 30-60 d  | apcmrf.ap...     |
| UP          | ₹2 lakh / yr      | ₹1.5 L   | 60-90 d  | crf.up.gov.in    |
| WB          | ₹3 lakh / yr      | ₹2 lakh  | 45-75 d  | cmrf.wb.gov.in   |
| Bihar       | ₹2 lakh / yr      | ₹1.5 L   | 60-120 d | cmrf.bih.nic.in  |
| Rajasthan   | ₹2.5 lakh / yr    | ₹2 lakh  | 30-60 d  | crfm.raj...      |
| MP          | ₹2 lakh / yr      | ₹2 lakh  | 45-90 d  | cmhelpline.mp... |
| Delhi       | ₹3 lakh / yr      | ₹3 lakh  | 30-60 d  | cmreliefund...   |
+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+------------------+
| Application fee                  | NIL — entirely free                 |
| Income cert + medical cert       | ₹100 - ₹500                         |
| Tax on receipt (recipient)       | NIL (§10(17A))                      |
| Donor benefit (separate)         | 100% deduction §80G                 |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| RTI to state CMRF (PIO Health)   | ₹10 by IPO. BPL = free.             |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+

• Income certificate above state ceiling — even ₹1,000 over the ceiling = auto-rejection in some states. Get a fresh certificate at the actual lower number.
• No MLA / political endorsement — without it, files in TN / UP / Bihar / WB can sit for 90+ days.
• Hospital not state-empanelled — most CMRFs require empanelment. Shift to a government hospital or apply to PMNRF instead.
• Cost estimate missing GST + bedside breakup — incomplete estimates trigger “more info” queries.
• Multiple parallel applications (Ayushman + CMRF + PMNRF + RAN) — disclose all; CMRF will deduct other funding from the sanction.
• Aadhaar mismatch with hospital + ration card — patient name / father's name spelling differences cause DD rejection.
• Old discharge — most CMRFs don't reimburse treatments completed more than 6 months ago. Apply before or during treatment, not after.
• Token number lost — without it, status checks become very hard. Always SMS the token number to a family member as soon as you get it.
• Empanelled hospital list outdated — verify on the state Health Dept portal, not Google.

• Government and large empanelled private hospitals have a medical social worker (MSW) dedicated to CMRF / PMNRF / RAN paperwork.
• They know the specific state's CMRF clerks personally and can chase faster.
• Free service. Always go to them first.

• Most states route CMRF files through the Collectorate Health Branch.
• Attend the DM's weekly Janata Darbar with your application copy + token number.
• DM can fast-track or re-send if the file is stuck at district level.

• If you didn't take an MLA endorsement initially, get one now and resend.
• Ruling-party MLAs have direct CMO access in most states.

• Most states have a CM grievance helpline:
  • Tamil Nadu: 1100 (CM Helpline)
  • Maharashtra: 1800-120-8040
  • Karnataka: 1902 (Janaspandana)
  • Gujarat: 155343
  • MP: 181 (CM Helpline)
  • UP: 1076 (Jansunwai)
  • Telangana: 1100 (Prajavani)
  • Andhra: 1902 (Spandana)
  • Kerala: 155300 (CMO)
• Quote your CMRF application token + MLA recommendation date.

• https://pgportal.gov.in routes to your state's grievance system.
• Some states have own portals (TN: e-Sevai grievance; Karnataka: IPGRS; Maharashtra: Aaple Sarkar grievance).

State Health Departments and CMRF cells under the CM Secretariat are public authorities under the state RTI rules (under §2(h) of the RTI Act 2005).

RTI helps here when:

• Your CMRF application has been silent for 60+ days — RTI to PIO, State Health Department / CM Secretariat for the file movement, current pending desk, and reason for delay.
• Your sanction was less than the hospital estimate without explanation — RTI for the note-sheet on file showing how the amount was arrived at (this often reveals which earlier scheme was deducted).
• The DM / DHO is sitting on your file — RTI to PIO Collectorate for the inward register entries.
• You suspect a clerk is demanding a bribe — RTI for the dispatch register + signing officer's name is a quiet anti-corruption nudge.
• You want to verify whether sanctioned DD was actually dispatched to your hospital — RTI to PIO state Health Secretariat asking for the dispatch number + courier POD.

State RTI fees: ₹10 by IPO / DD / cash (varies — Tamil Nadu accepts court-fee stamps; Karnataka uses challan; Maharashtra uses IPO/DD; West Bengal uses court-fee stamps). See RTI forms + state-wise fee chart.

RTI does NOT help here when:

• You want CMRF to increase the sanction — discretionary, not RTI matter; appeal to CM directly.
• You ask before 30 days from submission — premature; PIO will say “case under processing”.
• You demand the note-sheet of the CM's decision personally — most CMs cite §8(1)(j) for personal/discretionary records; instead ask for the Health Secretary's recommendation note (RTI-able).
• You ask for other applicants' sanction amounts — third-party PII; denied under §8(1)(j).
• You want CMRF to release funds to your personal account instead of the hospital — policy, not RTI.

Q. Can I apply to PMNRF and CMRF for the same surgery?
Yes. Both can run in parallel. Each scheme will deduct what the other has already sanctioned. Disclose every other source — failure to disclose is a recall ground.

Q. My income is ₹3.2 lakh — can my state's CMRF still consider me?
If above the state ceiling (most states ₹2-3 lakh), submit anyway with a strong MLA recommendation citing catastrophic medical expenditure relative to family savings. About 5-10% of cases get discretionary sanction even above ceiling. Keep expectations realistic.

Q. The hospital wants the money before surgery. CMRF takes 30-60 days. What now?
Hospitals empanelled under CMRF / Ayushman Bharat are bound to commence treatment based on the sanction-pending letter from the state. Get a written sanction-pending acknowledgement from the CMRF cell (most state portals issue this within 7 days) and present it to the hospital. Refusal can be escalated to the state Health Director.

Q. Can NRIs / OCI cardholders apply?
Generally no — CMRF is for state residents (domicile required). Some states (Kerala, Punjab) allow OCIs of state origin in extreme cases — check the portal.

Q. Tax implications?
You (recipient) pay no tax under §10(17A). The hospital cannot ask you to pay GST on the assistance amount. Donors who give to a CMRF get 100% deduction under §80G without ceiling.

Q. What if I'm a migrant worker — file in home state or work state?
File in the state where the treatment is being done if you have address proof there (rental agreement, electricity bill, employer ID). If not, file in your home state — the home-state CMRF can still sanction for treatment elsewhere if hospital details are provided.

Q. CM changed during my application processing — does the sanction lapse?
No. CMRF sanctions are issued by the office (CM Secretariat / Health Secretary), not the individual. A change of CM doesn't invalidate pending applications.

• Apply for PMNRF medical assistance — 2026 guide
• Apply for Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi cancer assistance — 2026 guide
• Apply for Ayushman Bharat ABHA card — 2026 guide
• Claim CGHS reimbursement — 2026 guide
• RTI in 12 simple steps — for first-time filers
• All Indian government helplines — one master directory
• RTI forms + state-wise fee chart

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026 by RTI Wiki editorial team. CMRF rules are state-specific and change with each government. Verify on your state CMRF portal or write to admin@bighelpers.in if you spot a stale figure.