[Marxistindia] Subject PM Cares Fund to Public Scrutiny

[news from the cpi(m)]

July 6, 2020
 
Press Statement
 
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the
following statement:
 
Subject PM Cares Fund to Public Scrutiny
 
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) is deeply disturbed at the stubborn refusal
of the Prime Minister's Office to disclose the details of the PM Cares Fund.
It has been declared that this is a fund set-up by a private trust with
Prime Minister as the Chair and ministers of Defence, Home Affairs and
Finance as trustees.  It is claimed that since it is a private trust, it is
not subject to RTI questioning and audit by any government auditor.  It is
clear that there is no transparency or accountability of this fund. 
 
This fund was announced in March as the Parliament session was adjourning.
A public appeal was issued for liberal donations to this fund with the
ostensible aim to  combat the Covid pandemic.  Government employees and
professionals were made to compulsorily donate a day's salary.  Two years of
MPLAD funds have been diverted to this trust fund.  The Companies Act 2013
was amended to allow donations to this fund of a private trust to be
eligible under Corporate Social Responsibility contributions.  This fund
liberally uses the national emblem, the PM's image and is backed by official
circulars to the public sector unit employees to donate.  Tax exemptions for
donations to this fund have been provided.
 
Till date, there is no answer from the PMO as to why a separate private
trust fund had to be created when the official Prime Minister's National
Relief Fund has been in existence since independence, which is  transparent,
accountable and audited by the CAG.
 
Media reports inform that nearly Rs. 10,000 crores have already been
collected by this fund.  Of this, over Rs. 4,000 crores have come from
government agencies and employees, which could have only happened because of
the authority and sanction by the government.
 
The CPI(M) had asked that these funds be released to augment our health
facilities and meet the shortages of infrastructure for testing of people
and treatment of patients affected by the coronavirus.  Serious allegations
and controversies have been exposed regarding the procurement of ventilators
from this fund without any open tendering process.
 
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) is of the firm opinion that this fund must be
made transparent and accountable.  The fund must immediately be transferred
to the state governments who are in the frontline combating the pandemic.
The details of this fund must be made public and subjected to public
scrutiny.  
 
 
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