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Launched with an aim of guidance and review of the CSR activities in Haryana and to encourage collaboration between CSR stakeholders in businesses, government and civil society, the Haryana CSR Advisory Board aims to improve the public infrastructure for the welfare of citizens, write Ritika Srivastava & Jyoti Bhagat of Elets News Network (ENN).

In a bid to create an ecosystem of all inclusive citizen welfare, the Haryana Government led by Manohar Lal Khattar has set up Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Advisory board in 2018. Headed by the Chief Minister, the other Board members include Finance Minister, Industries Minister and Chief Secretary of the State.

Launched with an aim of guidance and review of the CSR activities in the state and to encourage collaboration between CSR stakeholders in businesses, government and civil society, the Board also aims to improve the public infrastructure for the welfare of citizens.

The Board also endeavours to facilitate and support CSR investments of organisations through indirect and direct interventions by encouraging collaboration between CSR stakeholders in businesses.

Around 80 percent Fortune 500 Companies are located across Haryana. Hence, there is a huge potential of generating CSR fund across the state, which is further channelised by creating collaboration among corporates, government, NGO and local communities.

Why CSR is important for Haryana Government

The Haryana Government attaches due importance to the welfare activities in the Social Sectors covered under HDI, for the well-being of people of the State, a need has been felt for optimal utilisation of the CSR Fund, through facilitating both the Public and Private Sector Companies in relation to their CSR spending.

Speaking on the objective of the CSR Advisory Board, Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana Chief Minister says, “The Government of Haryana is committed to drive an inclusive growth agenda and accomplish continuously better wellbeing of the residents of the State. To promote the culture of volunteering, we are proud to create a dedicated and authentic platform for facilitating collaborations amongst Corporate, Government, NGO and Local Community for optimum utilisation of resources. Towards achieving this objective, we have constituted the CSR Advisory Board and an Executive Commmittee.”

He also adds, “I am confident that corporates will be able to avail maximum benefit of the information available on the website and become an active participant in the economic and social development of the State, by channelising CSR resources utilising the services offered on the CSR portal of Haryana.”

Water Conservation, Education, Healthcare among Areas Catered

Among the major areas covered and supported by the Haryana government through the CSR Advisory Board are skill development, disability affairs, education, healthcare, water conservation, sanitation, innovation and entrepreneurship, livelihood support, women and child development, infrastructure, environment, sports, renewable energy, agriculture and rural development, heritage, art and culture and slum area development.

Also Read: Hartron Helping Start-ups Flourish in Haryana

As per officials, full fledged work is taking place in the areas of skill development, disability affairs, education, healthcare, water conservation, sanitation, innovation and entrepreneurship, women and child development, infrastructure, environment, renewable energy and slum area development.

Activities undertaken by the Haryana CSR Advisory Board

Among the umbrella of areas or sectors enlisted by the Haryana government, there are several activities, which are considered as CSR projects or activities.

• Eradicating hunger, poverty and malnutrition, promoting preventive health care and sanitation and making available safe drinking water
• Promoting education, including special education and employment enhancing vocation skills especially among children, women, elderly and the differently abled and livelihood enhancement projects
• Promoting gender equality, empowering women, setting up homes and hostels for women and orphans, setting up old age homes, day care centers and such other facilities for senior citizens and measures for reducing inequalities faced by socially and economically backward groups
• Reducing child mortality and improving maternal health by providing good hospital facilities and low cost medicines
• Providing with hospital and dispensary facilities with more focus on clean and good sanitation so as to combat human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, malaria and other diseases
• Ensuring environmental sustainability, ecological balance, protection of flora and fauna, animal welfare, agro forestry, conservation of natural resources and maintaining quality of soil, air and water
• Employment enhancing vocational skills
• Protection of national heritage, art and culture including restoration of buildings and sites of historical importance a d works of art; setting up public libraries; promotion & development of traditional arts and handicrafts
• Measures for the benefit of armed forces veterans, war widows and their dependents l Training to promote rural sports, nationally recognised sports, sports and Olympic sports
• Contribution to the Prime Minister‘s National Relief Fund or any other fund set up by the Central Government for socioeconomic development and relief and welfare of the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, other backward classes, minorities and women
• Contributions or funds provided to technology incubators located within academic institutions, which are approved by the Central Government
• Rural development projects
• Slum area development. The officials further add, “The Above list is illustrative not exhaustive.

All activities under the CSR activities should be environment friendly and socially acceptable to the local people and Society. Contribution towards C.M relief fund shall be a part of CSR activities above two percent of Net profit other than the activities mentioned above.”

“The corporate organisations interested in taking part in the CSR activities, will have to register on the official website of Haryana CSR Advisory Board. The next step is to select the shelf of projects available on the website or upload the new proposal. The CSR Board will further provide the facilities and support to implement the project.”

What makes an organisation eligible to be part of the Haryana CSR Projects?

Any company registered under the Companies Act 2013 or any previous Companies law having net worth of Rs 500 crore or more, turnover of Rs 1,000 crore or more and a net profit of Rs 5 crore or more would be eligible for registering with Haryana CSR Advisory board.

How to be a part of the Haryana CSR Project

The corporate organisations interested in taking part in the CSR activities, will have to register on the official website of Haryana CSR Advisory Board. The next step is to select the shelf of projects available on the website or upload the new proposal. The CSR Board will further provide the facilities and support to implement the project.

Prior approval is not required for the estimated expenditure or budget, however, the stakeholders can be the collaborator of the activities.

How does the Board function

Located in Haryana Enterprise Promotion Centre (HEPC) office at Panchkula, the Haryana CSR Advisory Board would have a CSR Executive Committee which supports the corporate efforts and channelises their resources at the point of highest need and ensure proper utilisation to create sustainable change in line with Government plans and laying down transparent and defined roadmap for Government support for CSR projects.

The committee also works along with various departments to identify projects in focused sectors for allocation of funds from CSR fund and approve any CSR projects beyond investment of Rs 10 crore.

The projects with investment up to Rs 10 crore are approved by the Administrative Secretary, Industries and Commerce department. All the Administrative powers in respect of the staff working in the Haryana CSR Advisory Board are vested in CEO-cum- Administrative Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department.

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