Minister for Information Technology and Panchayat Raj K Taraka Ramarao here on Saturday exhorted the corporate houses to take part in social service activities.
Speaking at a full-day seminar on “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) — from Invention to Implementation” at FAPCCI Hall here, Taraka Ramarao said as a part of social responsibility, the corporate houses must take up social service programs and work for the uplift of the poor. He reminded that a large number of people were still under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) in the country and were facing problems in finding livelihood. The corporate houses, which have over Rs 5 crore turnover should earmark two percent of their profits for the social service programs, he said, adding that it was mandated in an act brought out by the government.
Underlined the need to reduce the gap between the rich and poor in the country, the minister said corporate houses should focus on the areas which are not accessible to the welfare schemes launched by the government. The State government was giving top most priority to the welfare of the poor, he added.
KTR said India is a diverse country and it is so much so diverse that there are people, who are some among the richest in the world. “A large chunk of the country’s population was below the poverty line. There is a wide gap between people of the same region. This void must be filled. That is where I believe CSR comes into place and help fill those gaps”, he added.
Rajen Habib Khwaja, IAS (Retd), former secretary to Union government, Ministries of Tourism and Mines gave key-note address. He told the delegates not to limit their vision to three words “CSR” because it is mandated and think beyond it. The seminar was attended by 500 corporate heads, promoters, directors, industrialists, professional bodies, CFOs, chartered accountants, cost accountants, company secretaries and others drawn from various parts of the AP and Telangana States.
The other guests, who graced the inaugural include Ch Ramachandra Reddy, MLA, Chittoori Suresh Rayudu, president, CII-AP; Shivakumar Rungta, president, S. Balachandra, Narasimhulu, P S Rao, Raghu Babu, founder, chairman, president and secretary of the Abhaya Foundation.
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