Donations pour in from all quarters for PM’s relief fund

New Delhi, March 29

President, Union ministers, ministries, government-run organisations, individuals and private bodies contributed or made a pledge to donate to the newly created PM CARES Fund on Sunday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked them for contributing to India’s fight against the new coronavirus.

President Ram Nath Kovind pledged to donate a month’s salary and appealed to countrymen to donate generously to it. Modi hailed him, saying he is leading the way and inspiring the nation. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also announced his decision to donate one month’s salary, with Army, Navy and Air Force personnel and the ministry’s employees deciding to donate a day’s salary, amounting to a total of Rs 500 crore.

After the JSW said it will contribute Rs 100 crore to the fund, Modi said the poorest of the poor will benefit from their remarkable.

Billionaire Gautam Adani too announced to contribute Rs 100 crore by his group’s philanthropy arm to the PM’s Fund. Tata Sons and Tata Trusts have already contributed Rs 1,500 crore for the same cause.

The Union government has set up the public charitable trust under the name Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) in the wake of the Covid outbreak.

Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Dharmendra Pradhan and Prakash Javadekar were among others who have made a similar announcement. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad too have donated their one month’s salary.

The ruling BJP has announced that all its MPs will contribute a month’s salary to the cause. With Modi’s decision to set up this fund, all donations from his party leaders will likely go towards it, a person familiar with the matter said. Javadekar said he will give Rs 1 crore to the fund and a similar amount to Pune administration.

The CBSE has donated Rs 21 lakh. Home Minister Amit Shah said in a tweet that the Central Armed Police Forces contributed Rs 116 crore to the fund. — PTI

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