Punjab’s CSR budget tripled in the last three years

The Punjab government has stated that their CSR spending has risen to almost Rs 430 crore in the last three years.

According to official data, the landlocked border state got over Rs 341 crore in CSR funds over the previous two fiscal years, accounting for 54% of the total received over the last six years since the Union Government enacted CSR law in 2014.

While Punjab spent only Rs 202 crore on CSR in its first three fiscal years (2015-16 to 2017-18), it spent Rs 430 crore in the subsequent three fiscal years, a 213 percent increase.

Punjab got Rs 631 crore in corporate social responsibility funding, of which 26% went to education, 21% to healthcare, and 15% to environmental and sustainability issues.

Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan announced last week the publication of the Punjab CSR Report in collaboration with Sattva Consulting and the NASSCOM Foundation. She stated that Punjab-based businesses contributed 58% of the state’s total CSR funding.

The agricultural state has a composite SDG score of 68, which covers all critical development areas like health, education, employment, sanitation, and electricity, and is ranked 12th on the NITI Aayog’s SDG Index 2020-21.According to the research, the sectors that raised the most capital were oil, gas, coal, petroleum, telecommunications, and automobile. He said that CSR is critical to the state’s development.

The Punjab CSR Authority held a meeting of representatives from industry, foundations, and the social sector.

Bharti Enterprises

Bharti Foundation

Tata Trusts

HMEL

Holcim India

Lend a Hand India

NASSCOM Foundation

PepsiCo

Pernod Ricard India

Srijan, and Tech Mahindra Foundation were among the corporate sponsors.

A post-pandemic Punjab will benefit from the lessons learned in the battle against Covid. The panels deliberated on best practices and innovative approaches to education, skill development, and livelihoods.

 

Dr Goyal said that since the CSR mandate was put into law in 2014, corporates have donated Rs 92,605 crore to development initiatives throughout the country, assisting and promoting economic and social endeavors.

Dr Sandeep Goyal, CEO of the Punjab CSR Authority, shared important findings from the study, stating that the top-funding sectors were those involved in oil, gas, coal, petroleum, telecommunications, and automotive.

“Punjab is a frontrunner state in some SDGs, such as affordable and clean energy, with a score of 100,” she disclosed.

“Punjab is a border and an agrarian state. We don’t have big industries here. But the state is famous both for entrepreneurship and large-hearted philanthropy. The Punjab CSR Summit is our endeavour to focus the attention of large corporations on the opportunities available in the state and how the CSR Authority is fully geared to bring all stakeholders together and collaborate to devise meaningful and innovative strategies for the continued well-being of the people,” said Dr Goyal.

He said the CSR plays and will continue to play a pivotal role in the state’s development. “This summit and the discussions here will hopefully result in more corporates putting their weight behind key issues in Punjab and collaborating to move the needle towards more impact,” he added.

 

 

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BMC will vaccinate 50,000 people in 10 days using CSR funding

The municipal authority has partnered with Dr Gautam Bhansali’s Golden Hour Foundation to give the first dosage to 50,000 individuals in 10 days.
Dr Gautam Bhansali, chief coordinator of all private hospitals for immunization and COVID, is leading the effort and has managed to collect Rs 2.5 crore via corporate social responsibility (CSR) donations. 1.29 crore doses has been given in the city till date.

The civic authority will work with a charity that has collected Rs 2.5 crore for the campaign, which begins on October 4.

He added BMC would assist them identify slum pockets and places where his team may go and vaccinate the people. “We want to cover 50,000 individuals in the next 10 days. We need to maximize the city’s vaccination coverage before the third wave. “Bombay Hospital will buy the vaccinations and BMC will distribute them in slum areas,” Dr Bhansali added.

However, Dr. Bhansali believes that CSR financing for vaccination would assist fill the gap created by the lack of vaccines in public vaccination facilities.

Two companies have given R1 crore apiece to the state chief minister and BMC. Golden Hour Foundation has also given Rs 25 lakh.

So far, 1.29 crore dosages have been provided in Mumbai of which approximately 74.2 lakh shots have been given to males and the rest 55.2 lakh are women patients. Officially, 44.71 lakh individuals took both doses. Encouraging more female vaccinations, the BMC now offers a weekly female-only session.

29.5 lakh vaccinations were given in September. Dr Bhansali said they aim to help the BMC vaccinate more Mumbaikars from all walks of life.

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The AAR states that CSR expenditures are not eligible for GST input tax credit.

The Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR) Gujarat bench has ruled that corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are not part of regular company operations. It ruled in a case involving a private limited business, Adama India. The AAR stated Adama India would not be eligible for GST input tax credit.

If the CST authorities implement this decision during evaluations, it would be a massive blow to India Inc, which has spent extensively on CSR initiatives like giving medical assistance through oxygen concentrators and sanitisers, to mention a few.

This is another typical instance of two AAR benches having opposing opinions on the same subject. In its April 8 issue, TOI reported the Uttar Pradesh (UP) bench’s judgment in Dwarikesh Sugar Industries.
In this instance, the AAR panel ruled that CSR spending is spent to meet a company’s legal responsibilities. Thus, the company’s CST paid on CSR-related purchases may be offset against its GST obligation (this is referred to as ITC).

The applicant company supplied pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides to the Gujarat AAR. Its CSR expenditures included school notebooks and course materials, seats and tables in schools and hospitals, cement benches in public areas, oxygen-generating plants in hospitals, masks, sanitisers, and oxygen concentrators.

It asserted that since CSR expenditures were obligatory, they are expended in the course of business. So it should qualify for ITC.
But the Gujarat AAR bench disagreed. It went on to say that the UP AAR bench’s decision did not bind it and that AAR judgements only bind the applicant and the appropriate GST authorities.

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From March to May 2021, Indian Corporates spent Rs 1600 on Covid-19 relief.

It’s brought to light that, between March and May this year, over 350 publicly listed corporations spent over Rs 1,600 crore on corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts to combat the deadly epidemic, according to CSRBOX.

In response to the second wave, Indian businesses initiated over 750 CSR projects, with 35% of them in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.

Approximately 57% of CSR activities targeted Covid-infected individuals. However, the study noted a lack of efforts to assist migrants, handicapped, homeless, and slum dwellers. It stated that over 400 business CSR efforts sought to get medical supplies, ventilators, and safety gear like PPE kits.

Corporate India supplied 10,000 Covid wards with over 3,500 ventilators and 140,000 Oxygen Concentrators. Across 17 states, 33 corporations donated over Rs 150 crore to community awareness programs.

The industries with the most efforts were computer/software/IT, power & heavy engineering, oil, drilling lubricants, petrochemicals, cement, and auto. The bulk of efforts come from Maharashtra-based companies, with one-third targeting the state.

Establishing medical oxygen production and storage plants, manufacturing and supplying oxygen concentrators, ventilators, cylinders, etc., are all acceptable CSR operations, according to the MCA in April-May 2021.

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Al Meera organizes a beach cleaning drive at Jazirat Bin Ghannam

On World Cleaning Day 17th September, 2021, Al Meera Consumer Goods Company (Al Meera) organized a cleanup event at Jazirat Bin Ghannam at Al Khor beach with the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME).

World Cleanup Day, celebrated annually in September, brings together individuals to combat the global trash problem. In order to reduce plastic pollution, the aim was to pick up as much trash as possible. Al Meera’s Jazirat Bin Ghannam beach cleaning joins hundreds of other global projects to promote trash reduction and sustainability.

Volunteers from Al Meera’s corporate office recently met at Jazirat Bin Ghannam at Al Khor beach to clean up the area, collecting plastic trash and other litter. Due to the preventive precautions against Covid-19, the initiative was not open to the public.

The Jazirat Bin Ghannam Beach Clean-up Event is part of Al Meera’s broad goal of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) aimed at pushing forward the four pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030, which are economic, human, social and environmental development.

Under this commitment, Al Meera continues to pursue efforts like awareness campaigns, recycling services for plastic and batteries, and the introduction of eco-friendly bags.

Speaking on the initiative, Al Meera commented: “As the national retailer of the State of Qatar, Al Meera is always looking for ways to advance the well-being of the community. Through this initiative, we seek to make a positive impact on the lives of our customers.

“We believe the key to a successful future lies hand-in-hand with our ability to bring sustainability in our daily lives and this is why we are always among the first to champion such initiatives for the betterment of our community today and for generations to come. We thank the MME for their support in the Jazirat Bin Ghannam beach clean-up and continue to host more events in the future.”

 

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Bollywood is ready to raise over Rs. 25 crore for COVID-19 relief efforts for We For India.

On this Independence Day, over 100 celebrities, artists, and influencers will join forces on Facebook to launch a worldwide fundraising for Covid-19 relief efforts.

We For India: Saving Lives, Protecting Livelihoods will be livestreamed on August 15th at 7.30pm IST to collect money for GiveIndia’s Covid-19 relief efforts.

The celebrities will show solidarity and support for preserving lives and livelihoods in India after the second pandemic wave devastated the country. GiveIndia will use all profits from the big event to help the poor and improve the healthcare infrastructure.

Many famous Bollywood directors will be participating in this three-hour video-thon, including Rajkumar Hirani, Karan Johar and Imtiaz Ali. ​

Other international talents and music superstars in the performance include Ed Sheeran, Annie Lennox and her daughter Lola Lennox, Mick Jagger, African actress Ini Dima-Okojie, superstar and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Nancy Ajram, Nile Rodgers (co-founder of CHIC), and Sister Sledge ft Sledgendary. Storyteller Jay Shetty and TV personality Dina Shihabi will also offer inspiring words.

Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Akkineni Nagarjuna, R. Madhavan, Farhan Akhtar, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and Pratik Gandhi will all have fascinating encounters. Rajkummar Rao will host the program.

Javed Akhtar, Prabhudeva & Remo D’Souza, A.R. Among the performers are Rahman, Shankar Mahadevan, Usha Uthup, Pandit Bikram Ghosh, Mithoon, Amit Trivedi, Vishal Dadlani & Shekhar Ravjiani; Salim Merchant & Sulaiman Merchant; Swanand Kirkire, Shantanu Moitra; Kanika Kapoor, Lisa Mishra; and sports sensation Mahesh Bhupati. On the program will be doctors who will talk about their experiences and pressing needs to keep India safe.

According to GiveIndia CEO Atul Satija, 

“The epidemic and the pain it wrought are far from finished. We For India is a wonderful effort that reminds us to keep providing humanitarian assistance and improving our health infrastructure. At the height of the second wave, GiveIndia realized that compassion transcends class and community. People from many walks of life volunteered their time, if not their money. So when our entertainment icons lead the donation, it is likely to encourage our collective generosity.”

“Our goal of creating communities and bringing people together is even more important now than ever,” said Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships at Facebook India. We are pleased to collaborate with We for India to offer relief to urban and rural populations affected by Covid-19 as part of our Social for Good program. We can change things together! ”

Diva queens like Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh, Malaika Arora, Dia Mirza, Kalki Koechlin, Sanya Malhotra, Ananya Panday and Alaya F will be there to add to the glamour. 

The funds will also help staff immunization sites. Funds will also be deployed to assist long-term public recovery and restore livelihoods for individuals who have lost their jobs or income completely. Rural and urban households affected by the epidemic would get meal and ration packages. Families who have lost a close relative will be compensated.

Produced by Reliance Entertainment, the leading media and entertainment business, alongside The World We Want (WWW), a mission-driven organization, and GiveIndia, India’s biggest and most trusted giving platform. Announcing our official streaming partner, Facebook India.

“While future waves may bring other challenges, the job at hand is to help our fellow Indians as much as we can now,” said Namit Sharma, Creative Producer, Reliance Entertainment.

“At Reliance Entertainment, we believe in the power of togetherness, empathy, and community to be a force for good,” said Sweta Agnihotri, CEO – Content and Syndication. While the case numbers may have dwindled, they do not fully represent the situation. In the aftermath of the epidemic, families have suffered long-term health and economic consequences. That is why we support We For India, standing in solidarity with the Indian people and raising much-needed funds.”

​Among the companies that helped produce the fundraiser were Amar Ujala, Bling Entertainment, Collective Artists Network, D’Artist Talent Ventures, Dharma Cornerstone Agency, Eros, Exceed, Matrix, Merchant Records, Mukta Arts and Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.

​“We believe in the power of global solidarity when everyone, everywhere joins together to make change,” said Natasha Mudhar, founder of The World We Want. Through popular culture, we believe We For India can entertain and inspire action, mobilizing global citizens to help save lives and repair, rebuild, and regenerate lives shattered by the catastrophe. This is one of the biggest coordinated initiatives to combat the epidemic. Together, we can avert a long-term health catastrophe. We For India is a rallying cry saying we are all with India.

Click on the Link for the Fundraiser:

https://fundraisers.giveindia.org/fundraisers/we-for-india-6vbzbkyp

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An overview of the Konkan scenario by Alvi Foundation’s Imran Alvi: Maharashtra Floods

Incessant rains in Ratnagiri district’s mountainous areas, illegal constructions along the Vashishti river bed, and water flow from the Kolkewadi dam have conspired to create mayhem in Chiplun’s coastal town.

Here’s what Mr. Imran Alvi had to say about the recent flooding in the Konkan area during our discussion.

“First, if a catastrophe occurred, blame the dam.

They didn’t let the water out of the dam because it was dangerously high. So, low-lying regions like Mahad, Chiplung, and other districts like Kolhapur were severely impacted by floods.

The water level began rising early in the morning when many were still sleeping. The people’s primary concern was to save their lives. So they ran. The folks on the bottom level went up, while the people on the first story went down. Those who resided in row homes or old structured buildings began fleeing to schools, masjids, and temples, as well as other high-rise buildings.

So they survived; some didn’t.

The second phase, rehabilitation, began. What to do when water levels drop? For example, in Chiplun, Muradpur, and Mahad and other low-lying areas where water was up to 10 feet or 15 feet deep, residents couldn’t remove anything. Most of the household items were washed away.

As a result, we began giving them water and food supplies, then clothing and supplies for cleaning (phenyl and wipes, broomsticks, etc.) since they had nothing.

Later with our whole team, we delivered 2500 kg rice every day, sometimes 4000 or 6000 kg. Our volunteers fill the tempo and pack it, 10 kg rice, milk, cookies, drinks, and everything else. The local staff separates it, packages it, delivers it to numerous tiny villages, individually to each home, and reports it.

The team in Bombay is about 30 individuals, and the ground team is around 40-50 people who pack and distribute; therefore, we have over 100 volunteers.

We ship packages to Chiplon, Khed, and Mahad. Big cars cannot travel inside the road; they are not comfortable since muddy items are on the road.

The crimson muck invaded the homes and subsequently onto the roadways. It became sticky after being soaked for a long time. So, if you brake while driving, the vehicle becomes stuck. To distribute these goods to one or two communities at a time, they utilize Tata compact vehicles.

We have put up a team in Mahad, Mr Afzar, my relative there. They gather all the supplies we provide and wrap them individually since we can’t do it all here. So we ship it in bulk from here, and they sort it and send it onward. They know which hamlet has been hit the worst and prioritize it appropriately.”

 

In collaboration with the state government, the NDRF stated its 33 teams are conducting relief and rescue operations in Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri, Palghar, Raigad, Sahara, Sangli, Sindhudurg Nagar, and Kolhapur. More than 25,500 livestock have been engulfed and more than approximately more than 200 people dead.

Several Maharashtra districts, NGOs, people, and institutions have stepped forward to help.

 

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Maharashtra’s monsoon wreaks havoc, more than three lakh evacuated and 1028 villages hit, worst in decades

The torrential rain that began on July 22, 2021, has caused havoc in Ratnagiri district, with Chiplun city being the worst hit. After the Vashishti River, the city’s sustenance flooded, hundreds of Chiplun inhabitants were trapped in their houses.

Chiplun, which is around 250 kilometres from Mumbai and has over 70,000 people, has been flooded to the extent that more than half of the city has been drowned.

Several teams from the NDRF, Coast Guard, Navy, and Army have been pushed into rescue operations. The death toll in Maharashtra has risen to 192, as torrential rains have inundated portions of the state and its surrounding regions, causing life to grind to a halt. According to state government statistics, over three lakh people have been evacuated from flood-affected areas, one of the biggest rescue operations in decades. The largest evacuation took place from western Maharashtra districts – Sangli (206,619), Kolhapur (150,365), Satara (7,530), followed by Konkan districts – Thane (6,930), Sindhudurg (1,271), Ratnagiri (1,200), and Raigad (1,000), and a majority have been housed in 259 relief camps, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said.

 

In collaboration with the state government, the NDRF stated its 33 teams are conducting relief and rescue operations in Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri, Palghar, Raigad, Sahara, Sangli, Sindhudurg Nagar, and Kolhapur. More than 25,500 livestock have been engulfed and more than approximately more than 200 people dead.

On Monday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had to abandon his trip to the flood hit area and his helicopter couldn’t land due to poor visibility. The State Disaster Response Fund has given Rs 2 crore to Ratnagiri and Raigad districts, respectively. For urgent reaction, a fund of Rs 50 lakh has been set up for all other affected areas. Probably in one of the highest yearly spend towards disaster mitigation, the Centre has released more than Rs 30,000 crore of disaster funds to states and Union Territories since the beginning of the pandemic last year.

Incessant rains in Ratnagiri district’s mountainous areas, illegal constructions along the Vashishti river bed, and water flow from the Kolkewadi dam have conspired to create mayhem in Chiplun’s coastal town.

According to the report, the heavy rains impacted more than 1028 villages in Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, and Pune. Five aid camps have been established in flood-ravaged Chiplun city, Ratnagiri district. According to the statement, the relief and rescue efforts are being carried out by 25 NDRF teams, four SDRF teams, two Coast Guard teams, five Navy teams, and three Army teams.

 

An outpouring of relief

Several Maharashtra districts, NGOs, people, and institutions have stepped forward to help. Many of Mumbai’s residents have Konkani origins.

Says Imran Alvi, Alvi Foundation, “We began giving them water and food supplies, then clothing and supplies for cleaning (phenyl and wipes, broomsticks, etc.) Since people had nothing.

Later with our whole team, we delivered 2500 kg rice every day, sometimes 4000 or 6000 kg. Our volunteers fill the tempo and pack it, 10 kg rice, milk, cookies, drinks, and everything else. The local staff separates it, packages it, delivers it to numerous tiny villages, individually to each home, and reports it.

https://crowdteck.com/an-overview-of-the-konkan-scenario-by-alvi-foundations-imran-alvi-maharashtra-floods/

Daroom Uloom Madrasa in Shiroli, Kolhapur, has sheltered 400 flood victims.

“We’ve sheltered nearly 400 individuals, mostly women and kids. They get food and other services “Haji Aslam Sayyid, Madrasa caretaker.

Help is flooding in from Mumbai and across the globe from volunteer and religious organizations. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are constantly distributing humanitarian supplies to the Konkanese impacted regions.

Many NGOs, including Juma Masjid Trust and Be Human Foundation, sent five trucks of aid on Saturday. Trust chairman Shuaib Khatib said, “The cars arrived after a four-hour journey. More trucks are coming.”

Jamate Islami Hind Maharashtra distributed 800+ households, wipes and cleaning supplies. 1700 cooked Food packets were given. Distributed 1000 Blankets etc. Ration Packages were also  given for Konkan Flood affected people By FGRF INDIA (Dawat-e-islami India).

NGO Khaana Chahiye provided a brave update on relief efforts, making us proud of their work.

SIO South Maharashtra stepped forward to support the Konkan.

“4 Tempos loaded with flood relief materials and volunteers of SIO, IRW and JIH are on the way to Chiplun, Konkan under leadership of Afeef Asre, Joint Secretary, SIO South Maharashtra,” reported Raafid Shahab, Secretary of SIO. Many foundations are constantly working to assist flood-affected individuals by collecting online transactions, contributions, and going on the ground to assist the inhabitants of the area.

 

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CenturyPly promises to plant 10,000 trees in its CSR efforts on Van Mahotsav

New Delhi: In honour of ‘Van Mahotsav 2021’, Century Plyboards (India) Ltd., India’s largest wood panel producer, has vowed to launch a green CSR initiative by planting 10,000 trees throughout West Bengal and Haryana.

Speaking on the initiative Nikita Bansal, Executive Director, Century, said, “With a vision of a greener tomorrow, CenturyPly is committed to bring positive environmental solutions by adapting an effective step towards nurturing the ecosystem. Over the years, as an eco-friendly entity, we have taken a conscious call of shifting our product raw material from using 100% forest timber to 90% plantation timber, which we believe is a unique initiative to sustain the balance of nature. Taking this pledge is just a stepping-stone for us in our journey to become a resilient and empathetic organization. This pledge is not only to create a sustainable ecosystem but also prepare all for an Eco Conscious Living.”

In the following months, the company will continue to plant more saplings under its existing ‘Century Plantation Project.’ In the coming year, the goal is to plant more than 10,000 trees.

CenturyPly also encourages local manufacturing by giving farmers genetically modified, pure, high producing, and disease-resistant clones of Eucalyptus and Poplars as part of Pragati Biotechnologies’ Century Plantation Project Hoshiarpur, Punjab. CenturyPly has previously collaborated on sustainable green initiatives with local self-help organizations and the Municipal Corporation.

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Q-Tec Team becomes a significant donor on World Blood Donor Day.

DOHA: Q-Tec Electric WLL, Q-Tec Engineering WLL, Q-Tec Facilities Management WLL, and Q-Tec Air Condition WLL recently sponsored a blood donation camp under the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) banner as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Q-Tec plays vital role on World Blood Donor Day

For the efforts made by Q-Tec in mobilizing its staff and creating a culture of voluntary blood donation, HMC awarded a certificate of gratitude on behalf of Ali Abdullah Al Khader, Chief Communications Officer, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Healthcare Communication.

Several Q-Tec family members volunteered to donate blood, and the event was deemed a success by the HMC.

 

 

 

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