The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to entertain a plea by a Trinamul Congress MP to allow states to access corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds through the chief ministers’ funds to combat grave issues like Covid-19.

The CSR option is available for the PM CARES Fund.

“There is no corporate entity or company before us, these are issues which can be raised before the Parliament,” a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Bhushan Gavai told senior advocate C.A. Sundaram who appeared for Mahua Moitra.

The apex court was of the view that as it was a policy matter, the issue should be raised in Parliament.

Jairam Ramesh Telegraph file photo

… Supreme Court on food: Go to government

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Congress leader Jairam Ramesh to approach the Centre with his plea for providing foodgrain and other ration supplies to the poor, irrespective of whether they had PDS cards or not.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Bhushan Gavai said the petitioner should ideally approach the government first. Only when the representation is not considered adequately should the court be approached, the bench said.