Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien mocked the PM CARES fund and called it “Prime Minister’s Couldn't-Care-Less fund" while addressing the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, 16 September.
O’Brien hit out at the Centre over the COVID-19 crisis. He stated that the government had announced a 21-day lockdown with just four-hour notice and no preparation.
Criticising the government for not taking states into confidence, the TMC MP said, “This govt needs the humility to work with the states. You don’t know it all.”
O’Brien lashed out at the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES) that was set up in March to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic for lacking transparency.
“The most opaque, dark fund in the world. It is called the Prime Minister’s Couldn’t-Care-Less Fund. Oh, I said the name wrong. Okay!”Derek O’Brien, TMC MP
Questions surrounding the accountability of the PM CARES fund have been raised again and again. In August, the Supreme Court ruled that funds collected by PM CARES need not be transferred to the National Disaster Relief Fund.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)