The government got a big relief on Tuesday when the Supreme Court 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.
After the Apex Court judgement,the ruling BJP hit out at the Congress, especially Rahul Gandhi, saying he had "tried to pull down" the government in its fight against coronavirus since Day 1. According to Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the 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.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.
BJP President JP Nadda described the Supreme Court decision on the PM CARES Fund as a resounding blow to the nefarious designs of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. 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.He 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.
The Congress called the court decision a "body blow to transparency and accountability" of the government to the people. Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the court, in a departure from that tradition, passed up an opportunity to demand answers on the PM-CARES fund that seeks public money but plays by its own opaque and murky rules,"
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