BHUBANESWAR: The Government on Thursday directed industries operating in the State to take up more developmental projects under corporate social responsibility (CSR) in districts which are not in the orbit of District Mineral Foundation (DMF) and Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC).
Corporate houses were advised to give priority to education, health services and rural development projects under CSR. Progress of CSR activities and utilisation of funds sanctioned for projects were reviewed at the CSR council meeting chaired by Chief Secretary AP Padhi here on Wednesday.
While CSR spending in the State from 2014-15 to 2017-18 has been to the tune of Rs 1,426 crore, the council has received another 1021 projects with estimated cost of around Rs 1,832 crore from different districts and departments.
Companies having net worth of Rs 500 crore, or more or turnover of Rs 1,000 crore or more, or annual net profit of Rs 5 crore are required to contribute at least 2 per cent of their average net profit for CSR activities.
The Chief Secretary directed corporate houses to implement the CSR activities on project mode and upload the progress on the Website. A web-based portal, GO CARE has been made functional for CSR management and responsive engagement with corporate houses.
Although DMF has been constituted in all the districts, the total contribution received in DMF Trust Fund till October was at Rs 3,548 crore and bulk of collection to the Trust Fund came from five major mineral bearing districts. The DMF collection in the mineral rich districts of Angul, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar and Sundargarh was Rs 3,414 crore till October, official sources said adding, projects worth Rs 1,800 crore have been sanctioned for these districts.
Of the total Rs 1,000 crore collected under OMBADC, projects worth Rs 900 crore has been sanctioned for rural housing, drinking water, road connectivity and afforestation.