Writing an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, a group of 100 former public servants raised questions over transparency in the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund, reported PTI.

“We have been keenly following the ongoing debate about the Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations, or ‘PM-CARES’, — a fund created for the benefit of people affected by the COVID pandemic. Both the purpose for which it has been created as well as the way it has been administered have left a number of questions unanswered,” the letter read.

“It is essential that the position and stature of the Prime Minister are kept intact by ensuring total transparency in all dealings the Prime Minister is associated with,” it added.

The civil servants said that it is important that the financial details of receipts and expenditures be made available in order to avoid doubts of wrongdoing.

The letter was signed by former IAS officers Anita Agnihotri, SP Ambrose, Sharad Behar, Sajjad Hassan, Harsh Mander, P Joy Oommen, Aruna Roy, former diplomats Madhu Bhaduri, KP Fabian, Deb Mukharji, Sujatha Singh and former IPS officers AS Dulat, PGJ Nampoothiri and Julio Ribeiro among others.

On Friday, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday refused to review its earlier judgement of dismissing public interest litigation on the PM CARES Fund, saying there was no merit in reviewing the order.

In March last year, the Centre set up the PM-CARES Fund to deal with any kind of emergency situation, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, and provide relief to those affected.