As the number of COVID-19 patients and those affected by the lockdown increase, Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac has urged state residents to donate to the Chief Minister Relief Fund.
In an exclusive conversation with TNM, Isaac said, “Kerala government’s appeal for the people of Kerala is to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. Because the state governments are on the frontline and they have to bear the expenditure related to COVID-19. Unfortunately the Government of India is not considering the plight of the state governments. Revenue is coming down sharply which forced many of the state governments to even slash salaries. The Centre so far has not announced a package like state governments have done.”
He added, “Even by the end of March they were not kind enough to provide any additional fund. Hence in this context, the voluntary contribution of the people is very much required and I am appealing to them to contribute to the CM relief fund. Otherwise we don't have any objection to anyone contributing to the PM Fund.”
A similar conversation is happening on Twitter in Karnataka. Many, including former Karnataka State Women’s Commission chief Brinda Adige, have opined that private donations from the state and all Local Area Development (LAD) funds of the state’s MLAs and MPs should go to the Karnataka Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and not the PM CARES (Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) Fund.
The conversation was sparked by Union Minister and Bangalore North MP Sadananda Gowda announcing that he has donated Rs 1 crore from his MPLAD funds and one month salary to PM CARES.
Dear CM of Karnataka pl ensure that MPs from Karnataka, do not send MPLAD funds to PMcares. These MPs were elected by Kannadigas, they must utilise the funds for Citizens in crisis in Karnataka. @CMofKarnataka @PLEKarnataka @ChetanAhimsa @leofsaldanha https://t.co/z0MxRGHVEJ
— Brinda Adige (@BrindaAdige) March 31, 2020
Like Isaac, many are of the opinion that the state governments being the implementing agency in most relief measures, it’s better that money should go to the state government. Others have also pointed out the lack of transparency and accountability associated with the newly unveiled fund as there was already an existing Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Some have also expressed disappointment with the Centre's actions over disbursement of funds to southern states for disaster relief in recent times.
Vinay Kumar, an activist advocating local self-governance and a volunteer with the Karnataka government in this crisis, said, “The MPs have no role in local governance except for their LAD funds and if they have given that back to the Centre then they have made no contribution. Otherwise with the sizeable amount that money could have been used for feeding the local people in the constituency and immediately could have made a lot of change. If it goes back to Delhi, how long does it take to come back to the people again? Also there is Rs 3,800 crore of fund leftover in the existing Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.”
After the 2019 floods, states like Kerala and Karnataka had openly complained that the Centre had not provided them adequate funds and had left the states to fight the crisis on their own.
Similarly, actor and activist Chetan Ahimsa said, “MPs are given 'Local Area Development' funds to take care of the development schemes of their constituencies in their respective states. The same goes for MPs in Karnataka. And when a Karnataka MP takes money from the LAD funds and places it into PM CARES funding, then s/he is depriving the people of Karnataka who have elected that MP. The MPs primary responsibility must be to his/her own constituency. If the MP wants to give money to the PM CARES, they can do so with their own personal money instead of taking away taxpayer funds from the entire constituency.”
He also touched upon the issue of southern states especially Karnataka and Kerala not getting their due share of disaster relief in the state.
“We have seen trends during national calamities how in spite of paying more taxes relatively, the south Indian states have been neglected by the Centre through either insufficient funding and/or delayed funding. Examples of this are flood emergencies in Kerala and Karnataka in 2019,” he added.
Echoing the same, Milana Neela, a postgraduate student at Bangalore University, said, “I personally feel the whole PM CARES fund is a PR stunt. I also see how the state governments are actually working kind of well to tackle this humanitarian crisis. I don't see the same motivation or determination by the centre. There is no clarity or structure in their thoughts and messages. Instead of participating in this PR activity, I think it's much better to contribute for the CMRF. It's like helping ourselves.”
Inputs- Saritha Balan.