TIRUPATI: Over Rs 33,000 crore of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds was spent in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu between 2014-15 and 2020-21, according to data tabled in Lok Sabha in response to a question raised by Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumoorthy revealed.
The data showed that Rs 1.01 lakh crore was spent by the corporate companies in the country, out of which Andhra Pradesh got Rs 3,352 crore.
Minister of State Rao Inderjit Singh said around 60 per cent of the total CSR funds spent by the companies were in the areas of education, healthcare and rural development. The minister pointed out that section 135 (5) of the Companies Act, 2013 provides that companies shall give preference to local areas around it where it operates.
"However, to ensure all-India spread of CSR expenditure, the ministry, in a circular issued on August 25, 2021, had clarified that the emphasis on the local area is only a directory and not mandatory, a prerogative that the companies need to balance local area preference with national priorities," the minister said.
The minister added: "The government does not issue specific directions to companies to spend in any particular geographical area or activity."
48 skill hubs
The Union Ministries of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Education have established 48 skill hubs in Andhra Pradesh, said Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
In reply to a question posed by the Tirupati MP about the government's plans to set up skill hubs across the country and funds allocated for their development, the minister said under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0 (PMKV) the ministry launched the Skill Hubs Initiative as a pilot project from January 1 for the integration and mainstreaming of vocational education along with formal education.
The minister further said as of July 18, 2021, a total of 1,957 such centres have been established across the states in the country.