The PM-CARES Fund is a public charitable trust in India established in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Controversies surrounding the fund include questions about its transparency and accountability, as well as concerns about the allocation of funds for various purposes. There have also been calls for the government to be more transparent about how the fund is being managed and how donations are being utilized.
Opposition against the PM-CARES Fund in India is primarily due to concerns about transparency and accountability. Critics have raised questions about the lack of information on how the funds are being utilized, as well as the lack of a clear mechanism for citizens to track the utilization of the funds.
Additionally, there have been allegations of political favoritism in the allocation of funds, with some suggesting that funds are being used for the ruling party's political gain rather than for the intended purpose of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another reason for the opposition is the lack of any independent oversight or auditing of the fund, which has led to concerns about the misuse of funds. Critics argue that the lack of accountability and transparency makes it difficult for citizens to trust the government's handling of the funds.
it has been reported that the PM-CARES Fund is exempt from the provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act in India. This means that citizens cannot make RTI requests to obtain information about the utilization of funds from the PM-CARES Fund.
This exemption has been a source of criticism, with some arguing that it undermines the transparency and accountability of the fund. Critics have called for the government to make the fund more transparent and subject to greater oversight, so that citizens can have greater confidence in how the funds are being utilized.
However, the government has defended the decision to exempt the PM-CARES Fund from the RTI Act by stating that it is a charitable trust, which is not a public authority under the RTI Act, and therefore not subject to its provisions.
The PM CARES Fund is not a government fund as donations to it do not go to the Consolidated Fund of India and no third party information can be parted with irrespective of its status under the Constitution and the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Delhi High Court was informed on Tuesday.
An affidavit filed by an under secretary at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), who is discharging his functions in the PM Cares Trust on honorary basis, has said the trust functions with transparency and its funds are audited by an auditor -- a chartered accountant drawn from the panel prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India
