Spokesperson: Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi: He said that the controversies around the PM CARES fund proves that it has been setup by a highly uncaring government and the Prime Minister. PM CARES starts with a capital ‘C’ which unfortunately appears to signify coercion, chaos, confusion, corruption by the powers that be. Government run firms, government owned firms, government property firms have contributed an overwhelming percentage of all donations or contributions to the PM CARES fund.

For the 2-year period or a 3-year period from 2019-2022, these companies contributed just under Rs. 3,000 crores. In percentage terms, it is very interesting. The total percentage of contribution by 250 or 300 companies was less then 40 per cent, 60 per cent of the contribution or just under 60 per cent was from these government companies. These top donors include the well-known names ONGC, NTPC, Power-grid Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation, Power Finance Corporation and there are other companies, where the government has a significant ownership and control.

Now, friends this raises very serious conceptual issues of accountability, number one or lack of it rather. Lack of transparency, number two, what you call opaqueness, Clear conflict of interest, number three, constitutional issues of great movement, violating every possible known constitutional canon. Had an opposition ruled state’s Chief Minister announced CM CARES, what would have happened friends? CM CARES should have been met by ED, CBI, or IT at the doorstep within 24 to 48 hours, and the CM might have raised only thousand crores.

First and foremost, PM CARES collects funds under the name and seal of the Prime Minister. It is advertised and administered as exclusively public money. With all this, amazingly, it has no accountability, there is no CAG audit. It has been argued by this Government of India that this is not a public authority, so, you can’t ask a simple question.

The Government of India, the PMO, why not disclose by simply putting every month on the website, total receipts, total details name of donors and name of expenditure or receipts simple. Constitutional morality decency does not require compulsion of law. Tuesday, April 25, 2023