BENGALURU: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the government is set to roll out a new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) utilisation policy and stated that three schools will be developed at each panchayat headquarters.
He stated this before the Legislative Council during his first address as chief minister to the council, where he sought “cooperation” from members for development of the state.
He said that to arrest the migration of rural population to urban areas and cities for education of their children, schools will be developed at the panchayat level.
“There is a CSR grant of Rs 8,000 crore. Everything is being misused. It has come to my notice that 50 per cent of the amount is being collected back in cash. To provide good education and employment to everyone in the state, the government is planning to bring a new CSR policy to make good use of this grant,” he said.
He added that the companies themselves select schools and use CSR funds to develop them. “We will give a list of 2,000 schools across Karnataka. The government will allot 3 to 5 acres at the panchayat level and come up with a plan; the companies will have to just develop three schools by pumping in Rs 10-15crore and can maintain them and even name them,” he said.
HDK speaking against Bidadi project due to ‘pressure’: CM
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar described the Bidadi township project, officially renamed the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township, as a “good project” and said Union Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy was speaking against it now due to certain pressure.
Speaking in the Council on Friday, Shivakumar said, “Kumaraswamy is speaking politically now due to certain pressure. I will not take offence at this. Bengaluru is growing.
A large number of people from northeastern India are coming here. How do we provide infrastructure to the growing population coming to Bengaluru? If we do not build new cities, how will we create opportunities?” he said.
He referred to the 1,000-acre industrial area developed during former chief minister Jagadish Shettar’s tenure and said successive governments had contributed to Bengaluru’s growth by establishing industrial and urban centres.
