Chhattisgarh CM puts Modi in a spot by going public with details of CM’s Relief Fund

On a day when India recorded the highest cases of COVID-19 over a 24 hour period and PM Narendra Modi held a fifth meeting with the chief ministers, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel put Modi in a spot by giving a public account of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund on Twitter.

Saying that he decided to give an account of the donations received in the fund for the sake of transparency, Baghel tweeted, “If you are expressing so much trust in the government in times of crisis, then it is also my duty to maintain transparency. I am sure I will keep receiving your cooperation in the future as well”.

Hours before the PM’s video conference kicked off, Baghel said in a series of tweets, “I am presenting the account of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund among you all. I would like to mention that from March 24 to May 7, the total amount of Rs 56 crore 4 lakh 38 thousand 815 have been received from various donors in the fund,” he tweeted in Hindi.

“Out of this, Rs 10 crore 25 lakh 30 thousand has been released to all districts of the state for the prevention of corona and assistance to the needy,” added Baghel.

Baghel’s move led many users to take to Twitter to post comments, with many of them taking potshots at the PM over the opacity being maintained in the case of PM CARES Fund which has reportedly attracted huge donations.

A user said: PM should also give an account of the donations received in PM CARES Fund; people’s money is not meant for expenditure on his overaseas travel.

Taking a jibe at PM Modi, another user shared an old clip of the PM in which he can be heard asking for hisab-kitab (account).

Other users posted:

It is worth recalling here that the launch of PM-CARES Fund was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March this year after COVID-19 hit the country, ostensibly with an aim to collect funds to fight the pandemic. The Prime Minister is the chairperson of the fund and its members include the Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister. It invites donations from individuals and institutions but it does not come under the ambit of the RTI act.

Seeking transparency, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi sought an audit of the fund on May 9.