Recently, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) in India. The fund, which was set up in March 2020, aimed to deal with any kind of emergency or pandemic situation and provide relief to those affected by such situations. However, a recent article by “Theekkathir,” a mouthpiece of leftists, has caused controversy by accusing the government of not disclosing the details of the money spent.
The article, which reportedly fabricated a story from “The Indian Express” has accused the government of not revealing where the ₹535 crore received from 2019-2022 has been spent. This accusation has been made without any solid evidence. Here’s the truth.
Background
The Covid-19 pandemic hit India in March 2020 and the government of India established a public charitable trust called Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) on March 27, 2020. The trust was created to have a dedicated fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or pandemic situation and to provide relief to affected individuals.
The Prime Minister of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund, and the Defence Minister, Home Minister, and Finance Minister of the Government of India are ex-officio Trustees of the Funds. In addition, the PM appointed Retd. Justice K.T. Thomas, Kariya Munda, and industrialist Ratan N. Tata as trustees of the fund.
The establishment of the PM-CARES fund was a response to the urgent need to provide assistance to people affected by the pandemic in India. The government recognized the importance of having a dedicated fund that could be used to address emergency situations such as pandemics, natural disasters, and other similar crises. With the trust in place, the government could mobilize resources and coordinate relief efforts more effectively.
The creation of the PM-CARES Fund was a significant step taken by the Indian government to address the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The fund has been used to provide essential medical equipment, support for frontline workers, and relief to affected individuals. The trust has also received contributions from individuals and organizations, both within and outside India, to support its efforts to provide relief and assistance in times of crisis.
Funds Received
Since its incorporation in March 2020, the PM-CARES Fund has received a substantial amount of donations from various sources, both domestic and foreign. This fund was set up with the primary objective of providing relief to those affected by any kind of emergency or pandemic situation.
In the financial year 2019-20, the PM-CARES Fund received a total of ₹3076.62 crore, out of which ₹0.39 crore was contributed through foreign donations. As the financial year ended in April 2020, the fund received a massive influx of donations in the following financial year, 2020-21. The total amount received during this period was ₹10,990.17 crore, out of which ₹494.91 crore was donated from foreign sources. Additionally, the fund earned ₹10 crore as interest during this period.
In 2021, as the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit India in mid-April, the PM-CARES Fund once again saw a surge in voluntary donations. As of now, a total of Rs. 9131.94 Cr has been contributed to this fund, with Rs. 40.12 Cr being donated through foreign contributions alone. These contributions have enabled the government to tackle the pandemic in a more effective manner and provide much-needed relief to those affected.
Funds Disbursed
The PM-CARES Fund has played a crucial role in India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception in March 2020, the trust has received donations from top industrialists and actors, making the pandemic a community-driven effort.
In the financial year 2019-20, the trust received ₹3076.62 crore through voluntary and foreign contributions, including ₹0.39 Cr from foreign donations. In the following year, 2020-21, a total of ₹10,990.17 crore was credited to the PM-CARES Fund, including foreign contributions of ₹494.91 crore and interest earned of ₹10 crore.
In 2021, during the second wave of the pandemic, the trust received another ₹40.12 crore through foreign contributions, taking the total funds credited to the account to ₹9131.94 crore.
The primary objective of the PM-CARES Fund is to deal with any kind of emergency or pandemic situation and provide relief to those affected. A major portion of the funds has been disbursed to improve the country’s healthcare infrastructure. In 2020-21, the trust disbursed ₹3976.17 crore out of the total funds to the healthcare department, and in the next financial year, ₹3716.29 crore was spent.
One significant initiative taken by the PM-CARES Fund was to provide financial assistance to children who lost their parents or guardians to COVID-19. A corpus of ₹10 lakhs has been credited to the post office account of each identified child, and they will receive a monthly stipend until the age of 23. As of 30th January 2023, 3962 students of class 1-12 received scholarships under the PM-CARES for Children Scheme, with 343 from Tamil Nadu.
Another significant contribution of the PM-CARES Fund was the establishment of 1225 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants in public health facilities throughout the country, including Tamil Nadu, to meet the increasing demand for oxygen in hospitals.
As of 31st March 2022, the PM-CARES Fund had ₹5415.65 crore in its account.
Despite the success of the trust’s efforts, some continue to peddle false stories about its operations. The PM-CARES Fund has remained committed to its mission of providing relief during emergencies and pandemics.
(Pradeep G is the State Secretary of BJP Tamil Nadu’s IT-DM Cell.)
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Busting Leftist Mouthpiece Theekkathir’s Lies On PM-CARES
Recently, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) in India. The fund, which was set up in March 2020, aimed to deal with any kind of emergency or pandemic situation and provide relief to those affected by such situations. However, a recent article by “Theekkathir,” a mouthpiece of leftists, has caused controversy by accusing the government of not disclosing the details of the money spent.
The article, which reportedly fabricated a story from “The Indian Express” has accused the government of not revealing where the ₹535 crore received from 2019-2022 has been spent. This accusation has been made without any solid evidence. Here’s the truth.
Background
The Covid-19 pandemic hit India in March 2020 and the government of India established a public charitable trust called Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) on March 27, 2020. The trust was created to have a dedicated fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or pandemic situation and to provide relief to affected individuals.
The Prime Minister of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund, and the Defence Minister, Home Minister, and Finance Minister of the Government of India are ex-officio Trustees of the Funds. In addition, the PM appointed Retd. Justice K.T. Thomas, Kariya Munda, and industrialist Ratan N. Tata as trustees of the fund.
The establishment of the PM-CARES fund was a response to the urgent need to provide assistance to people affected by the pandemic in India. The government recognized the importance of having a dedicated fund that could be used to address emergency situations such as pandemics, natural disasters, and other similar crises. With the trust in place, the government could mobilize resources and coordinate relief efforts more effectively.
The creation of the PM-CARES Fund was a significant step taken by the Indian government to address the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The fund has been used to provide essential medical equipment, support for frontline workers, and relief to affected individuals. The trust has also received contributions from individuals and organizations, both within and outside India, to support its efforts to provide relief and assistance in times of crisis.
Funds Received
Since its incorporation in March 2020, the PM-CARES Fund has received a substantial amount of donations from various sources, both domestic and foreign. This fund was set up with the primary objective of providing relief to those affected by any kind of emergency or pandemic situation.
In the financial year 2019-20, the PM-CARES Fund received a total of ₹3076.62 crore, out of which ₹0.39 crore was contributed through foreign donations. As the financial year ended in April 2020, the fund received a massive influx of donations in the following financial year, 2020-21. The total amount received during this period was ₹10,990.17 crore, out of which ₹494.91 crore was donated from foreign sources. Additionally, the fund earned ₹10 crore as interest during this period.
In 2021, as the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit India in mid-April, the PM-CARES Fund once again saw a surge in voluntary donations. As of now, a total of Rs. 9131.94 Cr has been contributed to this fund, with Rs. 40.12 Cr being donated through foreign contributions alone. These contributions have enabled the government to tackle the pandemic in a more effective manner and provide much-needed relief to those affected.
Funds Disbursed
The PM-CARES Fund has played a crucial role in India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception in March 2020, the trust has received donations from top industrialists and actors, making the pandemic a community-driven effort.
In the financial year 2019-20, the trust received ₹3076.62 crore through voluntary and foreign contributions, including ₹0.39 Cr from foreign donations. In the following year, 2020-21, a total of ₹10,990.17 crore was credited to the PM-CARES Fund, including foreign contributions of ₹494.91 crore and interest earned of ₹10 crore.
In 2021, during the second wave of the pandemic, the trust received another ₹40.12 crore through foreign contributions, taking the total funds credited to the account to ₹9131.94 crore.
The primary objective of the PM-CARES Fund is to deal with any kind of emergency or pandemic situation and provide relief to those affected. A major portion of the funds has been disbursed to improve the country’s healthcare infrastructure. In 2020-21, the trust disbursed ₹3976.17 crore out of the total funds to the healthcare department, and in the next financial year, ₹3716.29 crore was spent.
One significant initiative taken by the PM-CARES Fund was to provide financial assistance to children who lost their parents or guardians to COVID-19. A corpus of ₹10 lakhs has been credited to the post office account of each identified child, and they will receive a monthly stipend until the age of 23. As of 30th January 2023, 3962 students of class 1-12 received scholarships under the PM-CARES for Children Scheme, with 343 from Tamil Nadu.
Another significant contribution of the PM-CARES Fund was the establishment of 1225 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants in public health facilities throughout the country, including Tamil Nadu, to meet the increasing demand for oxygen in hospitals.
As of 31st March 2022, the PM-CARES Fund had ₹5415.65 crore in its account.
Despite the success of the trust’s efforts, some continue to peddle false stories about its operations. The PM-CARES Fund has remained committed to its mission of providing relief during emergencies and pandemics.
(Pradeep G is the State Secretary of BJP Tamil Nadu’s IT-DM Cell.)
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