According to an audit statement made public by the government, the PM-CARES fund for Covid received 3,076 crore in five days.
According to an audit statement made public by the government, the PM-CARES fund for Covid received 3,076 crore in five days. The donations between March 27 (when the fund was set up) and March 31 have been recorded in the statement for the financial year 2020, NDTV reported.
Rs 3,075.85 out of the amount were from domestic voluntary contribution and ₹ 39.67 lakh was a foreign contribution. PM-CARES had an initial corpus of ₹ 2.25 lakh and the fund has also received interest of around ₹ 35 lakh, the government statement says.
Though the PM-CARES website shows the audit statement, “accompanying notes 1 to 6” in the statement have not been made public. This means the details of the domestic and foreign contributors or donors have also not been disclosed by the government.
Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, in a jibe at centre, asked why the names of “these generous donors” were not revealed.
“Why? Every other NGO or Trust is obliged to reveal the names of donors contributing more than a threshold amount. Why is the PM CARES FUND exempt from this obligation,” Chidambaram tweeted.
But the names of these generous donors will not be revealed. Why?
Every other NGO or Trust is obliged to reveal the names of donors contributing more than a threshold amount. Why is the PM CARES FUND exempt from this obligation?
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 2, 2020
He also asked: “The donee is known. The trustees of the donee are known. Why are the trustees afraid to reveal the names of the donors?”
The donee is known. The trustees of the donee are known. Why are the trustees afraid to reveal the names of the donors?
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 2, 2020
Prime Minister Narendra Modi set up PM-CARES or the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund in March of this year to “deal with emergency or distress situations like the coronavirus pandemic”. The fund is managed by the trust with PM Modi as its chairperson and senior cabinet members as trustees.
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