The Centre told the Lok Sabha that questions on the PM CARES Fund are not permissible as it is a public charitable trust.
The government said the fund does not receive money from the Consolidated Fund of India and lies outside parliamentary oversight.
Opposition parties have continued to raise concerns over transparency and accountability of the fund.
The Centre has informed that questions related to the PM CARES Fund are not permissible, stating that the fund does not fall under the purview of parliamentary scrutiny.
The government said that the PM CARES Fund is a public charitable trust and is not financed by the Consolidated Fund of India, an Indian Express report said.
The government maintained that since the fund operates independently of government accounts, questions seeking details on its functioning, contributions, or expenditure cannot be admitted in Parliament. This has once again triggered debate among Opposition members, who have repeatedly demanded greater transparency and accountability in the fund’s operations.
Dr Shama Mohamed, National Spokesperson-Indian National Congress, on a post on X said: "Prime Minister’s Office has asked the Lok Sabha Secretariat that questions on PM CARES funds are not admissible.
After common people were denied information on PM CARES funds through RTI, now even parliamentarians cannot access it.
@narendramodi Why are you so scared if the funds are being used for public causes! This fear itself makes it evident that you have turned PM CARES funds into BJP funds."
The PM CARES Fund was set up in March 2020 to deal with emergency situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic and has since received contributions from individuals, corporate entities and organisations.
