Himachal directs companies to spend CSR funds within state: Minister

Himachal Pradesh government will ensure multinational companies set up in the state do not spend their CSR funds outside, Industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said in the Assembly on Friday.

Raising the issue during the question hour, Sanjay Awasthi (Congress) named two large companies that are located in his Arki constituency and said the people there have been affected because of their projects, but funds under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) are not being used by them for the welfare of the locals.

Responding to the remarks, Industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan admitted that multinational companies were spending CSR funds in other states and not in Himachal.

He assured that the government will enquire about the complaints regarding violations of environmental safeguards.

Congress MLA from Doon Ram Kumar stressed that CSR funds should be used at the places where such companies are located and BJP MLA from Bilaspur Trilok Jamwal also complained that the company in his constituency was also not spending the CSR there even though the local people are affected by dust pollution.

The minister said the government was serious about the matter and assured that strict instructions will be issued to companies to use the CSR funds in Himachal.

Replying to the main question, the minister said since April 1, 2023, as many as 21,182 cases of illegal mining were detected and a fine of Rs 13.95 crore was recovered.

There were heated exchanges between Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and the leader of opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, on the issue of closure of schools as Thakur alleged that the government was continuously closing or shifting schools and Agnihotri insisted that the decisions to close the schools have been taken in the public interest for balanced development.