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BSP chief Mayawati seeks Rs 1000 crore from PM CARES fund for worst affected states

The PM CARES Fund Trust on Wednesday decided to allocate Rs 3,100 crore for fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the amount will be used, among other things, to purchase ventilators and care of migrant workers.

BSP chief Mayawati seeks Rs 1000 crore from PM CARES fund for worst affected states

Representational image (Photo: IANS)

BSP president Mayawati on Thursday called for immediate and honest efforts to ensure that steps taken by the central government to mitigate the problems of people hit hard by the coronavirus-induced lockdown reach the ground-level. The former UP chief minister also said that the Rs 1000 crore announced by the PM CARES Fund Trust for migrant labourers should be directly provided to the most affected states like Uttar Pradesh.

The PM CARES Fund Trust on Wednesday decided to allocate Rs 3,100 crore for fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the amount will be used, among other things, to purchase ventilators and care of migrant workers. Out of the Rs 3,100 crore, nearly Rs 2,000 crore will be earmarked for the purchase of “Made-in-India” ventilators and Rs 1,000 crore for care of migrant labourers.

In a tweet, the BSP president said there should be immediate and honest efforts to implement steps taken by the Centre to mitigate the suffering of people.

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“Also the Rs. 1000 crore announced for helpless/marginalised migrant labourers should be directly provided to the most affected states like Uttar Pradesh so that it could become a real support for them… and the poor/labourers are not forced to migrate further.”

Amidst reports of migrant workers crisis going home on foot, some getting killed in train and road accidents, the opposition has questioned the use of PM CARES fund. Another report which says the fund will not be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has also raised many questions.

A news report by NDTV, quoting sources at the CAG office, said, “Since the fund is based on donations of individuals and organisations, we have no right to audit the charitable organisation.”

Following this Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a recent tweet said, “it’s important that PM ensures the fund is audited & that the record of money received and spent is available to the public.”

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