PM CARES Audit Reveals Minimal Spending Of ₹16 Crore In Fiscal Year

The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund utilized just 0.1% of its total income during the 2024-25 financial year. According to the latest audit report, the fund received ₹1,162.92 crore in domestic and foreign donations but spent only ₹16.47 crore. This disclosure revealed that the total corpus of the fund swelled to ₹8,452 crore as of March 31, 2025. The data surfaced after a significant delay of two years, bringing the fund's financial management into the national spotlight.

The Indian National Congress launched a sharp attack on the government following the release of these figures. Party leaders questioned why such a massive relief fund remains largely unspent while various sectors require urgent financial assistance. Critics labelled the fund's utility as minimal and called for greater transparency regarding the allocation of resources. The delay in making these audit reports public has further fueled the debate over the fund's accountability and its exemption from Right to Information (RTI) queries.

This development intensifies the ongoing legal and political battle over the status of PM CARES as a public authority. While the government maintains it is a private trust, the use of national symbols and the Prime Minister's office suggests otherwise to legal experts. For the average citizen, the low spending rate raises questions about the immediate effectiveness of their contributions during national crises. Moving forward, the government faces increasing pressure to justify the accumulation of such a large corpus without active disbursement.