MP Saket Gokhale criticises Modi government over lack of transparency in PM-CARES fund
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale has accused the Modi government of a lack of transparency in the management of the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund. Gokhale, in a post on X, highlighted that no financial data on the fund has been disclosed since March 31, 2022, sparking concerns about its administration and usage.
Gokhale noted that while the PM CARES Fund was initially presented as a charitable trust set up to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, it has not provided any updates on contributions or expenditures for the past two years. He further questioned how a fund declared as a “private trust” by the government could use national symbols like the National Emblem and a government domain address, stating, “The fact that PM-CARES stopped providing its audited financial reports since over 2 years clearly shows that there is something HUGELY fishy.”
He also drew parallels between the lack of transparency in the PM CARES Fund and the alleged misuse of the electoral bonds scheme. According to Gokhale, the fund might serve as a platform for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to extort companies and collect anonymous contributions, following the controversy over electoral bonds that were criticized for enabling anonymous political donations.
Gokhale’s statement aligns with the concerns raised by Congress leaders over the fund’s opaque nature in the past. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh had in March this year, alleged that the PM CARES Fund was deliberately structured to allow the Prime Minister access to an unsupervised pool of resources. Ramesh pointed out that despite receiving contributions from public sector undertakings (PSUs), foreign companies, and prominent Indian firms, the fund remains outside the purview of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
“The PM CARES Fund is exempt from any scrutiny, and the total amount received and the names of donors have never been officially disclosed. Media reports suggest that it received donations worth Rs 12,700 crore, with significant contributions from companies like Reliance and Adani Group,” Ramesh stated.
Echoing these sentiments, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi in April this year, questioned why the fund, despite receiving 60% of its donations from PSUs, is not subject to public audits. Singhvi argued that a public fund with over Rs 5,000 crore in contributions should be accountable to the public.
Further complicating the situation, a report by Business Standard in April 2023 revealed that at least 57 public sector companies contributed Rs 2,913.6 crore to the fund between 2019 and 2022, raising questions about the government’s claim that the fund does not receive any government money. The report also noted that amendments made in September 2022 limited the amount of information companies must disclose regarding their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending, making it difficult to trace where their contributions went.
The PM CARES Fund’s exemption under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) also allowed it to receive Rs 535.44 crore as foreign donations over the past three years, including contributions from Chinese companies. This has raised further concerns, especially given the ongoing tensions between India and China.
Over the years questions have also been raised about why the fund has not utilized its resources fully and why it continues to operate under ambiguous guidelines.
Important:
— Saket Gokhale MP (@SaketGokhale) October 4, 2024
Update on Modi's PM-CARES SCAM:
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Modi launched his new scam called PM-CARES Fund. This was meant to be a "charitable trust" which took contributions of thousands of crores from people as well as Indian & foreign companies.
After an… pic.twitter.com/PzYMKWgclH
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IPL final shifted for bigger stadium, not ticket issue: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday rubbished allegations that the IPL final venue was shifted from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad due to the distribution of tickets to MLAs.
Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said the reason for the shift could be the availability of a larger stadium in Ahmedabad.
“Ahmedabad has a large stadium and can accommodate more spectators. That must be the reason the IPL final was shifted there. There is no connection between ticket distribution to MLAs and the venue change,” he said.
When asked about reports linking the venue shift to MLAs demanding tickets, he quipped, “In some places, 50 per cent of tickets are reserved.”
When reporters said the BCCI had indicated that the decision was linked to ticket issues, he responded, “Let them make such statements. I will respond appropriately.”
Bengaluru was originally expected to host the final as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru were the defending champions.
Ahmedabad will host the IPL final for a second successive season on May 31, the BCCI announced earlier in the day, while allotting Qualifier 1 to Dharamsala and two other playoff games to New Chandigarh.
The board, however, said the final venue was shifted “owing to certain requirements from the local association and authorities that were beyond the scope of BCCI’s established guidelines and protocols.”
Shivakumar declined to comment on the revocation of the suspension of Muslim leaders in Davanagere, saying it was a party decision.
Regarding the removal of MLC Naseer Ahmed as CM Siddaramaiah’s political secretary, he said the chief minister had already spoken on the matter.
“The CM has his own information. Party office-bearers have provided guidance. He was given certain responsibilities, which he did not handle properly, which is why he was removed,” Shivakumar said.
On MLC Abdul Jabbar, who resigned as the state Congress minority cell chief and was later expelled from the party, he said Jabbar had submitted his resignation, which the party accepted.
The Congress in Karnataka faced internal dissent in April when several Muslim leaders objected to the party fielding Samarth Shamanur as its candidate for the recently held Davanagere South Assembly bypoll.
They demanded that a Muslim candidate be fielded, citing the constituency’s substantial Muslim population. The party subsequently took disciplinary action against three leaders, including Jabbar and MLC Ahmed.
When asked about his and the CM’s visit to Delhi, he said, “We will go when the high command calls us. It is not appropriate to go without being called.”
On Congress supporting TVK in Tamil Nadu, Shivakumar said the decision was taken to keep the "BJP out of power and strengthen secular forces." Elections to the 234 Assembly constituencies were held on April 23, and the results were announced on May 4.
The Congress party, a long-time ally of the DMK, announced its support for TVK to form a government in Tamil Nadu and severed ties with the Dravidian major.
The incumbent DMK was trounced by the fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, led by Vijay, who secured 108 seats. “Despite pressure from the AIADMK and BJP, TVK did not align with them. Our party has taken this decision in the interest of secular forces and the welfare of Tamil Nadu,” Shivakumar said.
