Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh releases details of funds spent in five years
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an important tool for companies to engage in social development activities. The Indian government has made it mandatory for companies to spend a certain percentage of their profits on CSR activities. However, recent data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation reveals that more than 10 districts in Telangana have witnessed little or no spending of CSR funds from 2016-17 to 2020-21.
Districts with Little or No CSR Spending
The data shows that Jagtial and Mulugu did not receive any CSR funds during the five-year period. Peddapalli saw spending of only Rs. 2 lakh while Warangal Rural registered expenditure of just Rs. 30 lakh through CSR funds. Narayanpet and Nirmal also witnessed low spending of Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 11 lakh, respectively. Even districts like Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mahabubabad, and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri did not receive much attention in the spending of CSR funds.
Response from the Minister
In response to a query by Congress member Anumula Revanth Reddy, Minister of State for of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh explained that CSR was a board-driven process and the board of the company was empowered to plan, decide, execute and monitor CSR activities of the company. He clarified that the government does not issue any specific direction to companies to spend in any particular geographical area or activity.
CSR Spending in Hyderabad and Other Sectors
According to the data released by the Minister, Hyderabad witnessed the maximum spending of Rs. 197.52 crore of the Rs. 624.22 crore CSR funds spent followed by Ranga Reddy which saw spending of Rs. 30.93 crore. Spending on education was ₹204.93 crore and the healthcare sector received Rs. 162.19 crore while slum area development received CSR funding of Rs. 51.50 crore.
Conclusion
While CSR spending has been gaining importance as a means of corporate social responsibility, the recent data shows that several districts in Telangana have not been able to benefit from it. The government’s response emphasizes the importance of the board-driven process, and the need for companies to take the initiative to engage in social development activities across all districts in the state.
