Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in a letter requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to instruct officials that CSR funds deposited by Chhattisgarh’s mining projects and industrial units into PM-CARES Fund, be immediately transferred to the state government.
The chief minister in the letter on Wednesday, said that if the amount is to be spent on prevention of Covid-19 or if it is supposed to be utilized for prevention of Covid-19, then the state government should be entrusted with the responsibility spending the CSR funds in only those districts that are affected by mining or industrial projects and also by the Covid-19 outbreak.
The CSR funds were established in view of the difficulties faced by the people living near mining projects or industrial units and their problems arising due displacement, pollution and other such reasons, Baghel in his letter said.
He further said that the PM must be aware that the CSR funds are utilized for development of basic facilities and other construction work in areas near mining projects and industries.
“The foremost objective of the CSR funds is to bring relief to the people affected by establishment of industrial units,” the CM said and added that under the current circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre has instructed all the mining projects and industrial units to deposit their CSR funds directly into the PM-CARES Fund.
The units have already started complying with the instructions, and the decision of the Centre is causing major dissatisfaction among the people affected by mining projects and industrial units, Baghel said.
The Centre’s decision will deprive the people living near the mining areas from the basic facilities, he said.
The CM requested that the CSR funds deposited by state’s mining projects and industrial units should be immediately transferred to the Chhattisgarh government.
If the fund is supposed to be utilized for the prevention of Covid-19, then the state government will ensure the utilization of the CSR funds in the districts affected by mining, industrial units and the Covid19 pandemic, he added.