PM-Cares Fund: Opposition decries lack of transparency, government points to PMNRF flaws
NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Saturday witnessed heated exchanges over the PM-Cares Fund while discussing The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The Bill was passed by voice vote. The Opposition slammed the lack of transparency in the fund with it being out of the ambit of the RTI Act and the CAG audit. The government countered the attacks with questions about funds being diverted from the PM National Relief Fund to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation during UPA governments.
“The PM-Cares Fund is a registered trust, while the PMNRF wasn’t,” said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, adding that there hadn’t been a single meeting of the PMRF since 1985. She also said that both the PM Cares and PMNRF are exempt from the RTI on account of not being funded by the government funds. Union Minister Anurag Thakur attacked the Congress for diverting the PMNRF funds, besides taking donations from dubious businessmen for the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. Thakur and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary lobbed barbs at each other, leading to heated exchanges between the treasury and the Opposition benches.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi questioned the need of PM Cares Fund saying that the PM had extended financial reliefs during floods in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Bihar in recent years from the PMNRF. “So, what was the need for the PM Cares Fund?” he said. TMC MPs Mahua Moitra and Saugata Roy also attacked the Centre on migrants.