Maharashtra to rope in firms to adopt 4,100 eco villages for CSR spending

State rural development department expects companies to provide various amenities in these villages under CSR initiative

The Maharashtra government has proposed to rope in state undertakings and companies from the private sector to adopt 4,100 eco villages and provide various amenities to them under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative as outlined in the recently-passed Companies Act.

“These companies could spend two per cent of their annual profit on CSR activities. If companies could adopt these villages, it would give a big push to make them self-dependent. A concrete proposal in this regard would be submitted to various companies,” Maharashtra rural development minister Jayant Patil told Business Standard.

Further, Patil informed that if companies expressed a desire to bear 80 per cent of expenses in an eco village, the state government would contribute 20 per cent.  

He informed that the eco village programme was launched in October 2010. The villagers had to qualify with certain minimum criteria to become eligible for funds under this programme.

A government official informed that each village had to achieve the target of “one person one tree.”  Besides, about 60 per cent of the families had to build toilets and avoid open defecation, and tax collection was to be around 60 per cent. Nearly 4,100 villages have already qualified to be eco villages, where the companies would be roped in to make their CSR spending. These villages are further motivated to qualify for additional funds.

Each person in the village had to plant at least one tree. Gram panchayats with a population of less than 1,000 would be eligible for Rs two lakh every year for three years. Those with a population of more than 1000 would get Rs three lakh every year for three years and so on. Larger gram panchayats would be entitled from Rs 15 to Rs 30 lakh over three years.

This money could be spent under 12 heads: to build roads, gutters, waste management or sewerage treatment and disposal systems, street lighting using solar or CFLs, for crematoriums or other community-oriented projects.