The Supreme Court today refused to direct the transfer of money collected under the PM CARES Fund set up for COVID-19 relief to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). 

The Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subshash Reddy, and MR Shah also held that contributions to the PM CARES Fund were funds of a charitable trust. The Court said that there was no statutory prohibition on contributions made to the NDRF. The Bench further clarified that funds collected under the PM CARES Fund are entirely different from the NDRF.  On the petitioner’s prayer to set up a National Plan for COVID-19, the Apex Court held that the plan prepared by the Centre is sufficient to cater to the pandemic.

BJP President JP Nadda today described the Supreme Court decision on the PM CARES Fund as a resounding blow to the nefarious designs of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Mr Nadda said, the truth shines despite the ill intent and malicious efforts of the Congress party and its associates. BJP President said Mr Gandhi’s rants have been repeatedly dismissed by the common man who has overwhelmingly contributed to the PM CARES fund.

Mr Nadda alleged that the Gandhi family treated the PMNRF Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund as its personal fiefdom for decades and brazenly transferred citizens’ hard-earned money from PMNRF to its family trusts.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad took a sharp jibe at the opposition today and said that the Supreme Court judgment pertaining to the PMCARES fund has cleared the air regarding the issue. He said, all the donations to PMCARES fund is done in a transparent manner.

Mr. Prasad informed that so far out of the total  3 thousand 100 crore rupees voluntary donation received in the PMCARES fund, 2 thousand crore rupees has been spent to purchase 50 thousand ventilators in the country. These ventilators are used to take care of the emergency needs of the COVID patients. He said, one thousand crore rupees  from the fund has been given to states and union territories to take care of the migrant labourers. The Minister also informed that 100 crore rupees from the PMCARES fund has also been given for COVID vaccine development.

He said, PMCARES is a registered public trust and transparency is writ large in its legal requirements and management of funds. Mr. Prasad said that at a time when everyone in the country is working towards containment of the global pandemic, the opposition appears not to spare any opportunity to weaken the national resolve against COVID-19.