INDIACSR News Network
NEW DELHI: Praful Patel, Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, has urged various Ministries/ Departments of Government of India to issue directions to the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs or the so called PSUs) working under their administrative control to take up relief and rehabilitation activities in the flood affected areas of Uttarakhand under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability activities.
The Minister here today made this request in the light of the unprecedented flood situation in Uttarakhand which has resulted in large scale damage to the person and property there.
Accordingly, the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), functioning under Shri Praful Patel’s Ministry, issued an Office Memorandum today which states that the relief and rehabilitation projects undertaken in Uttarakhand during 2013-14 by the CPSEs would be treated as the projects in the backward region and would also qualify for the purpose of MoU Evaluation.
Further, the limit of 5-10% of annual budget for CSR and Sustainability activities earmarked for natural calamities/ disaster will be relaxed for this purpose – this means that the CPSEs can now spend more funds on this account. The Memorandum also states that the contributions made by the CPSEs towards Prime Minister’s/ Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and/ or National Disaster Management Authority would count as valid CSR and Sustainability activities.
