From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, May 26: A comprehensive portal on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities by companies in Karnataka, `Akanksha,’ was launched by chief minister (CM) B S Yediyurappa in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The chief minister said the portal Akanksha providing details of all CSR activities in the state will help in enabling the corporates, government and donors to utilize the CSR funds for needy programmes by serving as a transparent platform.
Warmly appreciating the work of the corporates, voluntary agencies and the public in the state’s fight against the Covid pandemic, the chief minister said the combined efforts have helped in mobilising Rs 175 crore of CSR funds for the health sector.
The UN agency UNSPU has collaborated in the creation of the portal, which will help in easy, simple and transparent utilization of CSR fund grants, Yediyurappa said describing the effort as the first its kind initiative in the country.
He said the portal will also help in achieving the sustainable development goals set by the UN.
The chief minister said Vision 2030 has been created to achieve the UN-mandated sustainable development goals.
Of the total demand for Rs 75,000 crore grants, Rs 61,000 crore have already been allocated in the budget. The total expenditure for the health sector during the last financial year was Rs 11,527 crore and a sum of Rs 11,650 crore have been set apart during the current financial year.
He said the state government has announced a compensation package in excess of Rs 1,250 crore to provide relief to the sections affected by the Covid second wave lockdown restrictions. As many as 2.06 lac Covid infected people have been provided free medical treatment and a sum of Rs 956 crore have been spent for the purpose.
The chief minister said those donors wishing to lend a helping hand to the people suffering from the Covid pandemic or the developmental programmes can extend their help through the Akanksha portal.
The Akanksha portal has already incorporated programmes for the development of taluk and district level hospitals, providing online education to rural students and also special assistant to the Centrally identified backward districts of Raichur and Yadgiri as also 114 most backward taluks for the development of infrastructure and other pro-people welfare measures.
NITI Ayog chief executive officer, Amitabh Kant, who participated in the programme through the virtual mode, praised Karnataka’s initiatives and said the web portal will help in ensuring uniform development of all parts of the state.
UN subordinate entity UNDP representative Shoko Noda said the corporate entities, NGOs and the public must join hands in the fight against the Covid pandemic and help the needy. The Akanksha portal will be a model for others, he said.
Youth empowerment, sports and planning minister, KC Narayana Gowda, chief secretary P Ravikumar, planning department additional chief secretary, Dr Shalini Ranjneesh, CSR nodal officer, Uma Mahadevan and others participated in the function.
Earlier, the chief minister received a cheque for Rs 5 crore from the state-owned Hutti Gold Mines Ltd to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Hutti Gold Mines Ltd Chairman Manappa Vajjal, mines and geology minister, Murugesh R Nirani, department secretary Pankaj Kumar Pande and Hutti Gold Mines Ltd managing director, Prabhulinga Kavalikatti were present.
Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) president, Perikal M Sundar later called on the chief minister and submitted a memorandum.