Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan has on Friday revealed the total donation received by the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund (CMPRF) to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. The minister was presiding over the event of unveiling the augmented website of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund in Chennai. The enhanced website would let the people transfer the funds without facing any technical hindrance. 

While addressing the reports at the event, Thiagarajan has revealed that Rs 472 crore has been received as a donation to the CMPRF from May 7 to July 8. He said that around Rs 421 crore was spent towards COVID-19 containment measures and enhancing the medical infrastructure in the state by improving the supply of oxygen and oxygen beds. 

Chief Minister MK Stalin has launched the donation drive after he came to power in the state and appealed to the people to donate and support the government in its fight against the pandemic. The finance minister further said, "The Chief Minister wants complete transparency in the receipt and for which the relief fund is being spent. 

All the funds that are received now are being set aside towards Covid containment measures." The minister has also commented about DMK's plan to release a 'white paper' that would storm the preceding ADMK regime over its flawed governance. Thiagarajan said that the state government would bring out a white paper on the financial state of Tamil Nadu prior to presenting the budget for the year in the assembly. 

The white paper on the state of finance in Tamil Nadu is one of the poll promises of the DMK in the recently-held assembly elections. It must be noted that hundreds of people including celebrities and entrepreneurs had donated to the relief fund either by meeting the Chief Minister directly or by online. Several celebrities including actors Rajinikanth, Ajith, Suriya, Karthi, Siva Karthikeyan, Vijay Sethupathi, and Soori had donated the CMPRF to help the government's efforts to tackle the pandemic.

Earlier in May, after appealing to the public to make donations to the CMPRF, MK Stalin has asserted that transparency will be observed in the utilization of the fund and the donations will be rooted only for the Covid-related treatment. The Chief Minister has said that the people can avail tax exemption for the donations made to the relief fund. The Chief Minister has said that the second wave had put the state's health infrastructure and the people under distress and his government has arranged all its resources for beating the pandemic.