The PM Cares Fund, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing for donations from the general public to fight the coronavirus pandemic has always been the eye of the storm. The fund, since its launch, has been mired in controversies.
The amount raised so far has not been disclosed while some believe the number could be in billions.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused to order transfer of money from the PM Cares Fund to the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF), saying both are entirely different kinds of donations.
The bench held that PM Cares Fund is about voluntary donations to fight the pandemic and budgetary allocations are in the form of a public trust.
The Supreme Court is a big relief for the central government, which has been repeatedly questioned by the Opposition and activists over the manner in which it was set up and lack of transparency in spending.
After the Supreme Court rejected a plea seeking transfer of all contributions made to the PM Cares Fund to the National Disaster Response Fund, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that transparency is writ large on the PM Cares Fund.
Prasad told reporters, "Transparency is writ large on the PM Cares Fund both in terms of legal requirement and transparent management of funds, which were received on a voluntary basis. Our govt has not faced even a single accusation of corruption."
"It is not like the family-run Rajiv Gandhi Foundation which received money from China and also Prime Minister's National Relief Fund," he added.
"Rs 3,100 crore has been given from the PM Cares Fund to fight corona till now. As many as 50,000 ventilators have been provided for Covid patients through the PM Cares Fund. Rs 2,000 crore has been given for ventilators. Rs 100 crore has been given for vaccine research and Rs 1,000 crore to help migrant workers," the Union minister said.
Additionally, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Office has denied to give information related to the PM Cares Fund.
RTI activist Commodore Lokesh Batra (retired) had filed an application, seeking details about the number of requests and appeals received and disposed of this year by the PM Office since April. The Office responded with overall data but refused to divulge information specific to funds.?
PM Cares ¨C an acronym for Prime Minister¡¯s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations ¨C was set up in March.
In May, the PMO¡¯s office had said that the PM CARES Fund was not a ¡°public authority¡± under the RTI Act.