SC refuses to direct transfer of contributions made to PM CARES Fund for COVID-19 pandemic to National Disaster Response Fund
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to direct transfer of contributions made to PM CARES Fund for COVID-19 pandemic to the National Disaster Response Fund. While disposing of the petition, Supreme Court said, no need for a fresh national disaster relief plan. The funds collected by the PM Cares Fund are entirely different and that these are funds of charitable trusts, the top court said.
A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and comprising justices RS Reddy and MR Shah said that voluntary contribution can always be made to the NDRF as there is no statutory bar under the Disaster Management Act.
The Supreme Court also noted, “The National Disaster Management plan created in November 2019 is enough to tackle Covid-19. No need to create a fresh action plan or separate minimum standards of care.”
The verdict came on a PIL, filed by NGO 'Centre for Public Interest Litigation, seeking a direction that all the money collected under the PM CARES Fund for the COVID-19 pandemic should be transferred to the NDRF.
The Centre had on March 28 set up the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund with the primary objective to deal with any kind of emergency situation like the one currently posed by the COVID-19 outbreak and provide relief to those affected.
The prime minister is the ex-officio chairman of the fund and the ministers of defence, home and finance are its ex-officio trustees.
