Hope SC upholding validity of PM-CARES fund sends out message 'loud and clear': MoS PMO

After Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to direct Centre to transfer contributions made to PM-CARES Fund for fighting COVID-19 pandemic to National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), Government has issued its first response. MoS PMO Dr Jitrendra Singh said that SC "upheld  validity of PM Cares Fund and has refused to instruct Govt to transfer fund to NDRF. Hope that should send out a mess...loud and clear."

'Hope that should send out a mess'

Meanwhile, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya slamming 'Lobby' said that it will be incensed at idea of t being able to control "your donations anymore" 

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and comprising justices R S Reddy and M R Shah said that voluntary contribution can always be made to NDRF as re is statutory bar under Disaster Manment Act. verdict came on a PIL, filed by NGO 'Centre for Public Interest Litigation, seeking a direction that all money collected under PM CARES Fund for COVID-19 pandemic should be transferred to NDRF.

Centre had on March 28 set up Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund with primary objective to deal with any kind of emergency situation like one currently posed by COVID-19 outbreak and provide relief to those affected. Prime Minister is ex-officio chairman of fund and ministers of Defence, Home and Finance are its ex-officio trustees.

READ | Rahul Gandhi flays Centre after PMO refuses to give information about PM CARES on RTI plea

READ | SC reserves order on plea for transferring funds collected in PM CARES to NDRF

Nadda slams Rahul Gandhi

On Monday, BJP president JP Nadda slammed former Congress president Rahul Gandhi for claiming that Centre had clamped down on transparency. Maintaining that Wayanad MP's career is based on spreading fake news, he alleged that Gandhi family appropriated a permanent position in Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. Moreover, he added that money from PMNRF was diverted into trusts controlled by Gandhi family.

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READ | BJP president lambasts Rahul Gandhi for raising transparency concerns about PM CARES fund

(With PTI inputs)