Bengaluru: Rajiv Gandhi Foundation is in the news for having received humongous sums as donations from the Chinese government in 2006. 

Now, it has emerged that Dr Manmohan Singh, when he was the finance minister in 1991 and 1992 had tried allocating Rs 100 crore for the Foundation. 

 

"The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has been established to perpetuate the memory of the great leader and to promote the ideals and objectives for which he lived and laid down his life," Singh said.

Also Read: RGF received Rs 10 lakh as donation

"This Foundation, among other things, will lay particular emphasis on research and action programmes relating to the application of science and technology for development, propagation of literacy, the protection of the environment, the promotion of communal harmony and national integration, the uplift of the under-privileged, women and handicapped persons, administrative reforms and India's role in the global economy," he added.

"As a homage to the late Shri Rajiv Gandhi and in support of the laudable objectives of the Foundation, Government has decided to contribute Rs 100 crore to the Foundation at the rate of Rs 20 crores per annum for a period of five years beginning from the current year," the then Finance Minister said in the Budget speech.

However, it should be noted that the Foundation appreciated the generous sum but it thinks that the government should itself invest the funds in suitable projects.

As reported by a popular website, the China government gave a grant of Rs 10 lakh to the Rajiv Gandhi in the year 2006 as financial assistance.

It is reported that the foundation is headed by Sonia Gandhi and was handed over by Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Yuxi.

The website takes the help of another Chinese website and quotes: “To show the friendly sentiments of the Chinese people towards the Indian people, Mr. Sun Yuxi, Chinese Ambassador to India, on behalf of China Charity Foundation, donated 10 lakhs rupees to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation on January 27 to give financial assistance to its charities.”

Manmohan Malhoutra, who was the Secretary-General of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation at that time, received the amount on behalf of the foundation.