The Union government has set up a public charitable trust under the name PM CARES Fund in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, chaired by PM Modi and its members include defence minister, home minister and finance minister.
President Ram Nath Kovind said he will donate a month's salary to the fund to "help the nation tide over the crisis of COVID-19" and appealed to countrymen to donate generously to it. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and several Union ministers including Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Prakash Javadekar, Kiren Rijiju and Santosh Gangwar were among those who made a similar commitment.
The Railways, the country's largest public sector employer, will donate Rs 151 crore to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund), Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said.
The Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force as well as employees of the Defence Ministry have decided to donate one day's salary totalling around Rs 500 crore.
Also Check: Coronavirus In India LIVE Updates
"It is estimated that around Rs 500 crore will be collectively provided by the Defence Ministry to the fund from various wings, including Army, Navy, Air Force, defence PSUs and others," a defence spokesperson said.
Billionaire Gautam Adani announced a Rs 100-crore contribution by his group's philanthropy arm to the fund, joining Tata Group, Reliance Industries and other corporates who have come forward to support the fight against the pandemic. Tata Sons and Tata Trusts have pledged to contribute Rs 1,500 crore for the cause while Reliance Industries had made an initial contribution of Rs 5 crore besides opening India's first COVID-19 hospital in Mumbai.
The JSW Group said it will extend a financial assistance of Rs 100 crore to combat the deadly virus.
Do Not Miss: How To Manage Finances During The Lockdown
The Sajjan Jindal-led group will provide equipment to healthcare workers and its employees will donate one day's salary.
The ruling BJP has announced that all its MPs will contribute a month's salary to the cause. With Modi's decision to set up this fund, all donations from his party leaders will likely go towards it, a person familiar with the matter said.
The party has also asked all its MPs, 303 in Lok Sabha and 83 in Rajya Sabha, to sanction Rs one crore from the annual Rs five-crore MP Local Area Development Scheme.
The Central Board of Secondary Education has donated Rs 21 lakh, collected from its employees who it said has volunteered to contribute, to the fund.
Home Minister Amit Shah said in a tweet that the Central Armed Police Forces contributed Rs 116 crore, a total of one-day salary of its personnel.
Various ministries said employees' contribution is voluntary and those not keen on it may opt out.
Several Bollywood stars also announced their contribution. Bhushan Kumar, who heads film studio T-Series, said he will donate Rs 11 crore.
On Saturday, actor Akshay Kumar announced he will be donating Rs 25 crore. Varun Dhawan pledged Rs 30 lakh to PM-CARES Fund and Rs 25 lakh to Maharashtra CM's relief fund.
Filmmaker Karan Johar hailed the new fund as a "great initiative" and said he will be doing his bit in the battle against.
Meanwhile several users on social media also pledged donation to the fund.
(with PTI inputs)