PM Cares Fund need not be deposited in NDRF fund: Supreme Court

New Delhi, Aug 18: The Supreme Court had ruled that the PM Cares Fund money cannot be directed to be deposited in the National Disaster Relief Fund.

The court said that there is no impediment for citizens and corporates to deposit money in the NDRF and clarified that the PM Cares Fund is completely different from the NDRF.

The court rejected the plea that the Centre should have framed a fresh National Disaster Management Plan for COVID-19 instead of relying on the National Plan formulated in December 2019, which had talked about biological disasters.

The court said that the funds from PM Cares Fund need not be transferred to the NDRF Fund. The individuals can contribute to NDRF voluntarily. The minimum standards of relief as issued prior to COVID-19 is good enough and there is no need for a fresh disaster relief plan, the Supreme Court also said.