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

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

'Hope that should send out a message'

Meanwhile, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya slamming the 'Lobby' said that it will be incensed at the idea of not 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 the NDRF as there is no statutory bar under the Disaster Management Act. The verdict came on a PIL, filed by NGO 'Centre for Public Interest Litigation, seeking a direction that all the money collected under the PM CARES Fund for the COVID-19 pandemic should be transferred to the NDRF.

The Centre had on March 28 set up the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund with the primary objective to deal with any kind of emergency situation like the one currently posed by the COVID-19 outbreak and provide relief to those affected. The Prime Minister is the ex-officio chairman of the fund and the 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 the Centre had clamped down on transparency. Maintaining that the Wayanad MP's career is based on spreading fake news, he alleged that the Gandhi family appropriated a permanent position in the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. Moreover, he added that money from the PMNRF was diverted into the trusts controlled by the Gandhi family.

READ | RJD ridicules banning of 59 Apps, asks Centre to return Chinese donations in PM CARES fund

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

(With PTI inputs)