Railways to donate Rs 151 cr to PM-CARES Fund: Goyal
| Date :30-Mar-2020 |
NEW DELHI,
THE Railways Ministry will donate Rs 151 crore to PM-CARES Fund to help in combating the coronavirus threat, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday. “Following PM’s call, I, Suresh Angadi, will donate one month’s salary, 13 lakh rly, PSU employees will donate one day’s salary, equal to Rs 151 cr to PM-CARES fund,” Goyal, who is the Railway minister, tweeted.
The Union Government has set up a public charitable trust under the name of Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the chairman of the trust and its members include Defence minister, Home minister and Finance Minister. CBI officials to donate one-day salary to PM-CARES fund: OFFICIALS of the country’s premier investigation agency, CBI, have decided to donate their one-day salary to the newly-constituted Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund, agency officials said. The decision was taken soon after the fund was constituted, they added. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has around 6,000 officials.
“People from all walks of life expressed their desire to donate to India’s war against COVID-19. Respecting that spirit, the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund has been constituted. This will go a long way in creating a healthier India,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted. Jack Ma, Alibaba foundations donate medical supplies to India: THE Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation have donated essential medical supplies to India along with six more countries -- Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Collectively, these seven countries will receive a total of 1.7 million face masks, 1,65,000 test kits as well as protective clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators, forehead thermometers. “We are committed to doing everything we can to make a difference, most importantly by sourcing these supplies and overcoming logistical challenges to get the medical supplies to where they are needed as fast as we can,” a Jack Ma Foundation spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. With this announcement, the two foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries, totalling 7.4 million masks, 4,85,000 test kits along with other medical equipment.
The first batch of medical supplies for India arrived in Delhi on Saturday night and was received by the Indian Red Cross Society. Oppo donates Rs 1 crore to PM relief fund: CHINESE manufacturer Oppo on Sunday said that it has donated Rs 1 crore to Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Distress Fund to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic. “It is a small step towards ensuring the well-being of those fighting at the frontline and showing our gratitude for the services they are providing to the citizens,” the company said in a statement. The smartphone maker has also initiated an online repair service that will help with basic troubleshooting and software related issues. “We have initiated an Online Repair Service that will help you with basic troubleshooting and software related issues,” the company added. Meanwhile, the company has suspended all on-ground operations due to lockdown announced by the government and has also postponed the launch of OPPO Emco M31.
Govt says, contribution to PM-CARES Fund to qualify as CSR spending
NEW DELHI :
CONTRIBUTION by corporates to PM-CARES Fund will be considered as social welfare spending under the companies law, the Government has said amid ongoing efforts to deal with the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak. Under the companies law, certain classes of profitable entities have to shell out at least 2 per cent of their three-year annual average net profit towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in a particular fiscal. “... Any contribution made to the PM-CARES Fund shall qualify as CSR expenditure,” Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a tweet on Sunday.
The Corporate Affairs Ministry, which is implementing the companies law, has issued a memorandum clarifying that money donated by corporates to the fund would be considered as CSR expenditure. “The PM-CARES Fund has been set up to provide relief to those affected by any kind of emergency or distress situation. Accordingly, it is clarified that any kind of contribution made to the PM-CARES Fund shall qualify as CSR expenditure under the Companies Act, 2013,” the Ministry said in the memorandum issued on Saturday.