Uttar Pradesh to host CSR Summit soon
Lucknow, Feb 22 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra has announced that the state will soon organize a CSR Summit to discuss the surge in corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding in the past few years.
According to data from the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs, spending on Uttar Pradesh has increased from Rs 148.9 crore in 2014-15 to about Rs 1,330.6 crore in 2021-22 — an almost nine-fold jump. This increase has prompted the decision to host the CSR Summit.
Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Anil Rajbhar emphasized that there is no better place than Uttar Pradesh for effective utilization of CSR funds, highlighting the state’s potential for impactful CSR initiatives.
Representatives from organizations such as HCL Foundation, Vedanta Group, and Reliance Foundation shared their positive impact on the state. Alok Varma of HCL Foundation stated, “The promise made has been able to impact the lives of 5.1 million people positively.” Similarly, Ritu Jhingon of Vedanta Group shared that 33 per cent of the 6,000 Nandghars built by her company were in Uttar Pradesh.
However, Bhomik Shah, CEO of CSRBox, pointed out that despite the significant increase in CSR funding, Uttar Pradesh’s share is still relatively low considering the state’s population. He mentioned that the state has received an average of Rs 1,000 crore per year, which is much less compared to its population.
Minister of State Aseem Arun reassured that the state government is committed to ensuring that every segment of society benefits from the CSR funds, emphasizing the importance of equity in the distribution of resources.
The upcoming CSR Summit in Uttar Pradesh is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss strategies for more effective and impactful CSR initiatives in the state.
–IANS
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