New Delhi : The Centre that scorned at prospect of foreign aid for Kerala when floods batttered the state, now has no qualms about accepting overseas charities in form of donations, vaccine raw material, ventilators, oxygen, concentrates, tankers, medical equipment, mobile plant etc to help contain raging Covid pandemic. Help is currently arriving from Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and UAE. Waiting in pipeline is further assistance from US, France, UK, Germany, Australia, China, New Zealand etc.
In the European Union summit slated 8 May, member nations will discuss India’s covid crisis and decide on the kinds of aid to sent forth and incidentally, the Minister For Foreign Affairs, S Jaysankar conveyed gratitude for the magnanimity. Massive aid is streaming in from the middle-east nations of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait etc.
When floods wrecked havoc three years ago, the centre stopped Kerala from accepting foreign aid from countries including UAE and the Foreign Ministry followed-up on that arrogance, releasing a statement that said there was no need for external aid and thanked the willing-to-help nations.
By contrast, the centre has now published notification clearing all legal hurdles to accepting foreign charity into the PM CARES Fund. Foreign donations including from Chinese companies have poured into PM CARES Fund. Meanwhile, the Opposition sought for details on the PM CARES to be made public – something the Centre is unwilling at least up to now.
