Akshay Kumar Pledges Rs 25 Cr For PM CARES Fund

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the launch of a new fund to combat the coronavirus crisis and similar situations arising in the future. Among the first to respond is film star Akshay Kumar who has pledged Rs 25 crore.

Called the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund or PM CARES, the fund, the Prime Minister will be the chairman of the trust and its members will include the Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister.

“The spread of coronavirus has been alarming and is posing severe health and economic ramifications for our country. The Prime Minister’s office has been receiving spontaneous and innumerable requests for making generous donations to support the government in the wake of this emergency,” the government said in a statement.

“Keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected, a public charitable trust under the name of ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund)’ has been set up,” it added.