PM's National Relief Fund not a public authority, PMO claims

New Delhi: In a response to an RTI query, the Prime Minster's Office (PMO) has claimed that the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) is not a 'public authority'.

The PMO was responding to a query filed by one Abhimany Shrivastav who sought information regarding the bylaws/rules governing the PMNRF, all documents relating to the constitution of PMNRF Trust, and the names of current trustees. The applicant also had asked if any person from the opposition has ever been made a trustee of PMNRF.

Dismissing the query, the PMO remarked:

"Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) is not a public authority under the ambit of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005. However, relevant information in respect of PMNRF may be seen on the website – pmnrf.gov.in"

It may be recalled that a reference was made by Delhi High Court in May, 2018 to the Supreme Court to decide whether the PMO is a 'public authority'. The matter is still pending before the apex court.

The PMO had also refused to reveal information about the PM CARES Fund by holding that it did not fall under the category of 'public authority' under the RTI Act.