Railways to launch portal for private firms to donate CSR funds for toilets, benches in stations

The railways is all set to invite private companies to donate their CSR funds to sponsor amenities for passengers on station premises through a dedicated portal, Rail Sahyog, which will be launched by the Minister of Railways on Tuesday, a senior official said.

The companies can use their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to build toilets, provide free Wi-Fi with kiosks for e-services for citizens at stations, plastic bottle crushing machines, steel benches and dustbins and other amenities for passengers at stations, he said.

A change in the company law in April 2014 mandated that businesses with annual revenues of more than Rs 10 billion give away 2 per cent of their net profit to charity.

To encourage participation of private companies and public sector undertakings in identified works/activities to be done under CSR in the railways, a policy framework had been put in place by the national transporter in 2016.

It details the works/activities executable under CSR in the field of environment sustainability, sanitation and cleanliness, such as rain water harvesting, water recycling plants, solar panels, construction of toilets, provision for solid waste management and supply of filtered drinking water.