E-Paper
War of words over CM Covid Relief Fund breaks out in Uttarakhand
The demand was made by Congress state vice president Suryakant Dhasmana while attacking the state government over its handling of the ongoing pandemic in the state.
Uttarakhand Congress has demanded that the BJP-led state government make the accounts of Chief Minister COVID Relief Fund public to prove that the fund has been utilised properly.
The demand was made by Congress state vice president Suryakant Dhasmana while attacking the state government over its handling of the ongoing pandemic in the state.
Dhasmana said, “The government has been collecting a significant amount of money through donations in CM Covid Relief Fund from various sections of the society. It announces daily who donated how much to the Fund. But no information regarding where the money is being utilized has come out?”
He cited the demands for audit of the PM CARES Fund to seek transparency from the state government.
“As all have seen how the Centre is sternly opposing the demand of revealing the details of the PM CARES Fund in which it collected thousands of crores from the public in the name of Covid-19 relief, we also doubt the transparency in this CM Covid Relief Fund. The state government should immediately disclose the total amount of money collected and its expenditure so far,” said Dhasmana.
The Congress leader also demanded to know if Uttarakhand had received “its share” from the PM CARES Fund.
“The ONGC which is headquartered in Uttarakhand had donated about Rs 300 cr in the PM CARES Fund but not in CM Relief Fund as the Centre had said that all Central PSUs will donate to Centre, not the state. Then, Uttarakhand should get a share of ONGC’s donation. The CM should speak out on it as people have every right to know about it,” said Dhasmana.
He also attacked the state government for allegedly “surrendering” in the fight against the pandemic as positive cases grow in numbers.
“It has completely surrendered in the fight and has told the public to look after themselves, which is evident in its recent actions. When the cases are increasing every day, it has decided to reopen schools and religious places, which is just ridiculous,” said Dhasmana, adding, the situation is so worrisome that the state high court had to intervene.
The state BJP hit back at the Congress alleging it was busy doing politics over the pandemic from the day one.
“Congress has been shamelessly doing politics on this pandemic from the first day. On the other hand, the state government and the BJP have been helping the needy in every possible way, including with ration and medicines. Congress is nowhere to be seen as far as helping the people is concerned; it is busy in dirty politics in this crisis situation,” said Ajendra Ajay, BJP state spokesperson.
On the demand for making the accounts of CM Covid Relief Fund public, Ajay said the demand was baseless.
“Whenever the Congress is in power either at the Centre or in state, it has been involved in corruption, unlike the BJP, where no leader including the PM has been accused in even a single case of corruption. As Congress themselves are deeply in corruption, they suspect everyone of doing the same. There is no irregularity either in the PM CARES Fund or CM COVID Relief Fund.”
