KOCHI: Amid allegations that companies are misusing charitable trusts to fabricate corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending, a controversy has erupted over the utilisation of the CSR fund by Kitco, a premier public sector engineering consultancy firm headquartered in Kochi.After the Companies Act was passed in 2013, it became mandatory for corporate firms to provide a contribution of 2 per cent of the average net profits for welfare activities.
RTI activist N Sivakumar has alleged that Kitco has siphoned off `53.23 lakh in the name of empowering tribal women. Kitco had declared in its annual reports that it had spent `10.34 lakh in 2015-16, `23.77 lakh in 2016-17 and `19.12 lakh in 2017-18 towards empowerment of women in three tribal settlement colonies located in the deep forest under Kuttampuzha Forest Range Office.
However, in his reply to an RTI application, Malayattoor Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) A Ranjan said no such activity was conducted in the forest area with the Forest Department’s consent. According to him, trespassing into the reserve forest is an offence inviting one-year imprisonment or a fine not less than `1,000.
“In its annual report, Kitco claimed it had identified 30 tribal women in Panthapra, Kunjipara and Thalavachapara tribal settlement colonies and provided them with skill development training in apiculture (beekeeping) and reed crafting with an objective of empowering them,” said Sivakumar. “Any activity in the reserve forest should be implemented only with the consent of the Forest authorities. However, my RTI application to Malayattoor DFO, Kuttampuzha Forest Range Officer, Kuttampuzha gram panchayat and District Scheduled Tribe Development Officer revealed no such activity was conducted from January 1, 2014 till date.”
Allegations refuted
Refuting the allegations, Kitco MD Cyriac Davies said the PSU had been implementing CSR activities in tribal colonies through Rajagiri Outreach, the professional service wing of Rajagiri College of Social Sciences.
“In 2015-16, we conducted a need assessment survey in the colonies with the help of Rajagiri Outreach and interacted with the tribal heads and women. We identified their problems and decided to educate, provide skill development training and implement women empowerment programme according to our CSR policy. Rajagiri Outreach and Christ University, Bengaluru, chipped in to help implement the project,” he said.
The project was implemented with the Forest Department officers’ support and former Range Officer Xavier was present at the harvest and training programmes, he said. “We identified 30 women and provided them training in apiculture and reed crafting. The honey produced by them was marketed at the rate of `300 per kg. In 2015-16, they produced 1,500 kg of honey and we gave them `4.5 lakh as the cost of the produce. The tribals were provided an opportunity to participate in handicraft exhibitions and market their products. This helped them develop products according to market demand,” he said.
Davies said a Khadi qualified trainer was taken to the colonies to provide apiculture training. Handicraft trainer Ruby Mathew provided training in reed crafting. The workers were provided NCVT certificates and Artisan identity card issued by the Ministry of Textiles. Panthapra resident Kuttan Gopalan said representatives of Kitco and Rajagiri Outreach had been visiting the colony for the past three years and providing training to 10 women, who were given 15 beehives. The beneficiaries got around `10,000 each as cost of the honey, he said.Thankappan, another tribesman, also said Kitco had conducted training programmes in the colony.
Cause for concern
Malayattoor Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) A Ranjan said frequent visits by social activists to tribal colonies were a cause for concern. “Kitco and Rajagiri Outreach claim they have been implementing some projects in tribal colonies. They haven’t approached us and no consent has been given. Any project for the welfare of the tribal community should be implemented through the Forest Development Agency (FDA), in which tribal heads are members. The forest produce collected by the tribals should be marketed through Vanasree, FDA’s marketing wing.
Only this year, Kitco representative contacted us seeking support for implementation of the training programme. I instructed them to implement it through FDA,” he said. Ranjan said the government has instructed the Forest Department to keep a tab on people visiting tribal colonies following an alert about activities of extremist elements. “I have given strict order to curb the activities of social activists in tribal colonies. I have written to higher authorities seeking direction to route all welfare projects through FDA,” he said.