PM-CARE Fund: Shah Slams UPA's PM Relief Fund Transparency

New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party's management of the Prime Minister's Relief Fund, alleging a lack of accountability and transparency during the previous UPA regime.

During his reply to the debate on the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024, the minister said while the Prime Minister's Relief Fund was created during the UPA era, the PM-CARE Fund was established during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

"Under the Congress regime, only one family had control over the prime minister's relief fund. The Congress party president used to be the member of the prime minister relief fund. What reply you will give to the people of this country?" Shah said.

The minister alleged that under the UPA, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation received funds from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. Even Public sector undertakings (PSUs) were funding the foundation, he added.

"There was no transparency during their time. There was no committee to look into the utilisation of funds," he said.

In contrast, the minister said the PM-CARE Fund's management includes the top five ministers, including the Finance and Defence Ministers as trustees.

A committee of five secretaries reviews and approves its expenditure. The funds of the PM-CARE were used for critical COVID-19 infrastructure like ventilators and vaccination.

No political party president is involved in the fund's management, he said.

"People will decide who has more accountability," the minister said, challenging the Congress party to explain its previous fund management practices.