The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it clear that money collected under the PM CARES Fund for the coronavirus pandemic need not be transferred to National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). The apex court said it cannot direct the Government to do so.
This ruling has triggered heated exchanges between political parties on Twitter. The ruling BJP termed this ruling as a resounding blow to the nefarious designs of Rahul Gandhi and his band of ‘rent a cause’ activists. Principal opposition Congress is yet to come up with a reply.
Contributions to the PM CARES Fund are voluntary and there was no statutory prohibition on contributions made to the NDRF, a Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subshash Reddy, and MR Shah said while dismissing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a NGO called Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL).
The Bench also said that the national plan prepared by the Centre is sufficient to cater to the Covid-19 pandemic. The minimum standard of relief issued by the government prior to Covid will continue and no fresh issuance is required, it said.
Within minutes from the ruling, BJP President Jgat Prakash Nadda said in a series of tweets that the truth shines despite the ill intent and malicious efforts of the Congress party and its associates. “Rahul Gandhi’s rants have been repeatedly dismissed by the common man who has overwhelmingly contributed to PM CARES,” he said.
“With the highest court also pronouncing its verdict, will Rahul and his ‘rent a cause’ activist army mend their ways or embarrass themselves further?,” he asked.
Emergency assistance
The Government in March set up the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund, better known as PM CARES Fund. This was set up to have a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the Covid pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected.
The objectives include “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.” The Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund while the Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister are ex-officio Trustees of the Fund.
The fund consists entirely of voluntary contributions from individuals/organisations and does not get any budgetary support. Donations to PM CARES Fund would qualify for Section 80G benefits for 100 per cent exemption under the Income Tax Act, 1961. Donations to PM CARES Fund will also qualify to be counted as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure under the Companies Act, 2013.
The National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, supplements the SDRF of a State, in case of a disaster of severe nature, provided adequate funds are not available in SDRF. Any individual or institution can contribute in NDRF.