Why We Need Transparency in the PM CARES Fund

The PM CARES Fund was created to help people during crises like COVID-19. It collected thousands of crores from the public, used the government's official name, and is run by top ministers. Yet, when citizens ask questions, the government claims it is a "private trust" and does not come under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.This raises some very serious questions:No Public Audits: If it uses the Prime Minister’s name and office, why isn't it audited by the government’s official auditor (CAG)?Bypassing Old Funds: Why did we need a new, secretive fund when we already had the transparent Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF)?Unfair to States: Big companies got tax benefits (CSR) for donating to PM CARES, but not for donating to Chief Ministers' state funds. This took away resources from the states.In a democracy, the public has the right to know how their money is spent. True governance means being open and accountable, not keeping things hidden behind legal loopholes.

Secretive: You cannot use RTI to find out exactly who donated money and where it went.

Private Auditors: Instead of a government audit, they use private chartered accountants, which keeps the details away from Parliament.

Hurts States: It centralized all the pandemic relief money, leaving state governments with fewer funds to fight local crises.