Despite Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag handing over a Rs100-crore cheque to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January for Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, the Army now says no amount was contributed to it. The cheque titled “one day’s pay of all ranks of Indian Army” was given in January on the occasion of Army Day. The Army gave this response to a RTI filed by Dehradun-based Prabhu Dandriyal who sought to know the fate of the cheque as no money was withdrawn till March 20 from the salaries of the personnel for donation.
“It has been intimated by concerned agency that no amount on account of contributions from salary of any Army personnel has yet been donated to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. The matter is under consideration,” lt Col Rajiv Guleria looking after RTI pleas said in Dandriyal’s query. The photographs of the 67th Army Day event are posted on the website of Prime Minister’s Office showing cheque titled “one day’s pay of all ranks of Indian Army” being handed over to Modi by Suhag in the presence of Defence Minister Mahohar Parrikar.
Dandriyal has now sent his RTI petition to the Prime Minister’s Office(PMO) seeking to know what happened to the Rs100 crore cheque. “When by March 20 no amount of contribution was taken from the salaries, then how did the Army chief submit the fund of Rs100 crore to PM Relief Fund. This is why I have sought clarification from the PMO by filing another RTI,” Dandriyal said.