Opinion | PM-CARES—Facts Vs Propaganda

PM-CARES Fund was designed as a specialised instrument for public emergencies and distress situations, deliberately distinct from the older, more individual-relief-oriented PMNRF

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Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) fund, which was launched in 2020, is audited by one or more qualified independent auditors who are appointed by the trustees. Hence, claims from Opposition leaders that this fund lacks transparency are simply fear-mongering, aimed at creating unnecessary confusion in the minds of people. “Was PM-CARES needed when we already had PMNRF?" ask some. Well, the simple answer to that is the PMNRF was initially established as a deemed trust by Jawaharlal Nehru to assist displaced persons from Pakistan through public contributions. Assistance from PMNRF, besides dealing with natural calamities, is also rendered to partially defray the expenses for medical treatment like heart surgeries, kidney transplantation, cancer treatment, acid attacks, etc. However, with the launch of Ayushman Bharat, the biggest healthcare scheme globally, such needs, which were earlier looked after by PMNRF, have now been minimised. Also, PMNRF, which always had the Congress President as one of its key trustees, still has many remnants of the decrepit Nehruvian ideology associated with it. Imagine this—during the Congress-led UPA era, Sonia Gandhi, without holding any constitutional position, was a member of the PMNRF and brazenly used her position & powers as part of PMNRF’s board to then direct funds from PMNRF to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), of which she has been the chairperson for the longest time. Under Congress, PMNRF was used as a private kitty of the Gandhi dynasty. Under PM Modi, however, corruption and conflict of interest have been totally weeded out.

On the other hand, PM-CARES, set up as a public charitable trust, is an emergency fund with a very specific, targeted approach, which is the need of the hour. It is bereft of any dynastic or “high command" style culture, typical of the Congress. It is completely within the bounds of law, transparent, and additionally, it does not have the overarching hand or interference from any legacy acolytes of the Congress Party, whose track record, in any case, in the past six decades of governance, has been rather dubious, abysmal, and opaque.

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The primary objective, as stated on the official website of PM-CARES and in the trust deed, is “to undertake and support relief or assistance of any kind relating to a public health emergency or any other kind of emergency, calamity or distress, either man-made or natural, including the creation or upgradation of healthcare or pharmaceutical facilities, other necessary infrastructure, funding relevant research or any other type of support." It also aims to render financial assistance or grants to the affected population and to undertake........

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