BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has proposed that public sector undertakings (PSUs) operating under it should expand the domain of their corporate social responsibility and has suggested a string of new projects which could be taken up.
The Public Enterprises Department has suggested that PSUs could join hands to fund the provisioning of anti-venom medicine for Malkangiri district where snakebite incidence is high and so is the rate of casualties.
Annually, about 4000 to 5,000 cases of snakebite are reported in Odisha and about 1000 die of the attacks. In most cases, the victims fail to access anti-venom medicines which are short in supply. Malkangiri tops among districts so far as snakebite incidence and casualty are concerned.
In a recent meeting, it was proposed that the PSUs should not spend resources on projects prioritised by them but a common pool of activities should be selected for CSR. While provision of anti-venom topped the agenda, the Department has also proposed that bed sheets for tribal hostels in select districts and distribution of blankets to homeless persons in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack should be taken up under the CSR.
Similarly, distribution of uniform and blankets for students in Kandhamal and construction of toilets for City Women's College in Bhubaneswar have also been proposed.
The meeting also took up provision of solar energy for unelectrified villages as well as micro hydel projects on rivers.
Govt move
■ PSUs could join hands to fund the provisioning of anti-venom medicine for Malkangiri district
■ Provision of solar energy for unelectrified villages as well as micro hydel projects on rivers
■ PSUs should not spend resources on projects prioritised by them but a common pool of activities should be selected for CSR
The Department has also decided to form two sub committees which will look at existing schemes of corporations as well as in other States. The two panels will also jointly formulate a project on pension and mediclaim schemes for PSU staff. For this purpose, every PSU has been asked to submit a detailed list of their employees.
Similarly, the Department will also explore if the family of any employee dying before the age of 50 could get a lump sum financial benefit package. Possibility of reservation of seats for children of the employee in schools and engineering colleges will also be explored by the Department.