2 weeks ago
PM CARES Balance Rises as Congress Questions Limited Spending
The PM CARES Fund is meant to help people during emergencies.
The government released its accounts for two financial years.
The fund had about ₹8,452 crore at the end of 2024-25.
It received less money from Indian and foreign donors than before.
Much of its income came from interest on money kept in deposits.
The accounts also showed that ₹324 crore was returned by agencies that were supposed to use the money.
Only about ₹87.84 lakh was reported as spent on the PM CARES for Children scheme.
Congress leaders and activist Anjali Bhardwaj want to know why so little money was used and why more details are not public.
The government’s stated position, as reported, is that the fund can remain available as a financial cushion for future emergencies.
The government released audited PM CARES accounts for 2023-24 and 2024-25 on August 17, 2026.
Reported receipts rose from ₹7,188.63 crore to ₹8,452.95 crore, while the closing balance reached about ₹8,452 crore.
Domestic donations fell 30% to nearly ₹479 crore, and foreign donations declined 18% to ₹92.8 lakh in 2024-25.
The fund earned about ₹470-475 crore in interest, while ₹324 crore was recorded as refunds from implementing agencies.
Only ₹87.84 lakh was spent under PM CARES for Children, prompting criticism over utilisation, auditing and transparency.
- Who
- The Union government released the accounts; Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Kushagra Saxena, Congress’s Kerala unit, and activist Anjali Bhardwaj criticised the fund’s spending and transparency.
- What
- Audited accounts showed a rising PM CARES balance but limited reported spending, declining donations, interest income and ₹324 crore in refunds from implementing agencies.
- Where
- The fund operates in India; the auditor, KKC & Associates LLP, is headquartered in Mumbai.
- When
- The accounts covered financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25 and were released on August 17, 2026.
- Why
- Critics questioned why large sums remained unspent during disasters and why information about donors, refunds, audit notes and public scrutiny was unavailable.
Critics and Opposition
Government Position and Published Accounts
Limited spending
Critics and Opposition
Congress leaders said using only about 0.01% of the available ₹8,452 crore was inadequate while communities faced natural calamities and needed relief.
Government Position and Published Accounts
The government has maintained that the fund can serve as a financial cushion available when emergencies arise; the accounts reported ₹87.84 lakh spent under PM CARES for Children.
Refunded funds
Critics and Opposition
Anjali Bhardwaj asked which agencies returned ₹324 crore, why the money was refunded, and whether the refunds related to faulty equipment or accountability concerns.
Government Position and Published Accounts
The audit accounts recorded ₹324 crore in refunds from implementing agencies, but the articles did not provide further explanations from the government.
Transparency and audit
Critics and Opposition
Critics questioned the fund’s private audit arrangement, its exclusion from the Right to Information framework, the absence of a UDIN, delayed audit filing and missing accompanying notes.
Government Position and Published Accounts
The fund uses a private chartered-accounting firm because of its reported private-trust status, and the government published the audited accounts; no specific response to all transparency questions was reported.
Sources of donations
Critics and Opposition
Anjali Bhardwaj and Congress representatives sought more information about donors. Congress’s Kerala unit also questioned reported donations from Chinese technology companies and linked them to wider political concerns.
Government Position and Published Accounts
The articles reported that major state-linked companies, including ONGC, NTPC, Power Grid Corporation, Indian Oil and Power Finance Corporation, were among top contributors, but did not establish the political claims made by Congress.
Key facts
- Receipts
- ₹7,188.63 crore in 2023-24, rising to ₹8,452.95 crore in 2024-25.
- Closing balance
- About ₹7,173 crore in 2023-24 and ₹8,452 crore in 2024-25, according to the reported audit figures.
- Domestic donations
- Nearly ₹479 crore in 2024-25, down 30%.
- Foreign donations
- ₹92.8 lakh in 2024-25, down 18%.
- Interest income
- Approximately ₹470-475 crore was earned, primarily from fixed deposits.
- Refunds
- ₹324 crore was recorded as refunded by implementing agencies.
- Reported spending
- ₹87.84 lakh was spent under PM CARES for Children in 2024-25.
- Audit arrangement
- The accounts were audited by Mumbai-based private chartered-accounting firm KKC & Associates LLP, rather than the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Quotes
Mr. Pawan Khera
Congress Rajya Sabha member
“Only 0.01% of the Rs 8,452 crore available has been utilised — even as natural calamities devastate communities across the country and thousands need relief and rehabilitation. Rs 8,452 crore sitting idle while people suffer. PM CARES? Hardly.”
wionews.com
deccanchronicle.com
Ms. Anjali Bharadwaj
Activist and social media commentator
“Utilised only 0.01% of available Rs 8,452 crore! Why is the PMCARES Fund keeping such large sums of money idle? Rs 324 crore was refunded by implementing agencies, but no information on what these payments were for and why these were refunded? Which agency refunded? Were refunds done to evade accountability for faulty equipment? Why have accompanying notes to the audit report not been uploaded?”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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