Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday suggested that the PM CARES Fund could be used to improve infrastructure in rural schools and build more than 1,000 high-tech model schools, citing the fund’s reported balance of Rs 8,452 crore.
Dipke, whose party has launched the ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign to highlight gaps in rural school infrastructure, said children in several parts of the country lacked basic facilities such as proper roads, benches and drinking water at schools.
The PM CARES Fund had a total balance of Rs 8,452 crore as of March 31, 2025, according to its latest audit report. Of this, Rs 7,846 crore was parked in fixed deposits and Rs 605 crore was held in savings bank accounts.
In a video statement, Dipke said he had visited schools in rural parts of Maharashtra where, according to him, infrastructure was in poor condition.
“When I asked the authorities why there were no basic facilities here, I was told that there was a shortage of funds,” he said.
He questioned why the funds available with PM CARES could not be used to address such infrastructure gaps.
Dipke said that if the construction of a fully equipped model school cost around Rs 8 crore, the fund’s reported balance could theoretically finance more than 1,000 such schools.
“But this is not happening,” he said, appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider using the fund for school infrastructure and education.
Also read: CJP to back like-minded groups in poll-battle: Ranka
PM CARES fund balance rises to Rs 8,452 crore
According to the audit report, the total balance of the PM CARES Fund increased to Rs 8,452 crore as of March 31, 2025, from Rs 7,173 crore a year earlier.
The fund received and retained most of its balance in financial instruments, with Rs 7,846 crore parked in fixed deposits and Rs 605 crore in savings bank accounts.
Total payments from the fund during 2024-25 stood at Rs 87.85 lakh, compared with Rs 15.6 crore in the previous financial year.
The fund spent Rs 87.8 lakh on the PM CARES for Children Scheme during the year. The scheme provides support to children who lost both parents, a legal guardian or adoptive parents to the COVID-19 pandemic. Expenditure on the scheme was Rs 15.37 crore in the previous year.
Dipke urged people to appeal to the Prime Minister to use the fund for education and school infrastructure, particularly for children from poorer communities.
“PM CARES Fund can be put to good use,” he said in another post, sharing pictures showing a dirty school toilet and a run-down school building.
The CJP’s ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign has sought to draw attention to gaps in rural school infrastructure and demand better basic facilities for students.
Follow us
