Didi donates Rs 5 lakh to PM relief fund The Bengal chief minister said the money was being taken out of her income from royalties

TT, Special Correspondent , 1.04.20, Calcutta: Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday donated Rs 5 lakh each to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) and the state emergency relief fund in her bid to further support the nation’s fight against Covid-19.

The Bengal chief minister said the money was being taken out of her income from royalties. “I do not take any salary as an MLA or a Chief Minister & I have also foregone my MP Pension despite being a 7-time Member of the Parliament. I come from limited means. My primary source of income is from my creative pursuits, the royalties I generate from my music & books,” she wrote on Twitter.

“Out of my limited resources, I am contributing Rs. 5 lakhs to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund & another Rs. 5 lakhs to the West Bengal State Emergency Relief Fund in an attempt to support our country’s efforts in fighting the Covid-19,” she added on the microblogging site.

The Trinamul Congress chief — sources close to her said — donated to the PMNRF and not the PM-Cares Fund launched in the wake of the pandemic. There have been questions on the nature and level of transparency of the PM-Cares Fund and the need to set it up when the PMNRF already exists with a balance of Rs 3,800 crore.

“The PM-Cares Fund is likely to turn out to be controversial, once the pandemic dust settles,” said a Trinamul source.

“Didi (Mamata) wanted to contribute to the Centre’s efforts as well, but did not want to go down that road. She has kept the entire Bengal front of the fight against the pandemic free of politics and has been extending cooperation and support to the Centre’s initiatives. Therefore, the contribution,” he added.