Ranchi: Jharkhand will become one of the cleanest states in India in the next four years, if an ambitious program jointly implemented by the government and corporate succeeds.
The corporate sector has positively responded to the government’s proposal to spend 2 percent of its net profit for the development of the eastern Indian state.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das, who chaired the first meeting of the Jharkhand Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Council on May 8, said the government and industry are trustees who must work for the overall development of the state.
The government had issued a notification on this regard on March 31.
Buoyed by corporate sector’s response, the government has underlined sanitation and skill training as its priority areas.
Stating that companies were equal partners in development, the chief minister said Jharkhand has immense potential to become the most prosperous state.
Das appreciated the CSR work undertaken by companies in Jharkhand and urged them to spend 2 percent of their net profit on CSR activities in a focused manner, an official release quoted him as saying.
“The state government has two priority areas for CSR work – sanitation in the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Swach Bharat Abhiyaan’ with a target of 2019; and ‘Make in India’ skill development program for which a separate Ministry of Skill Development has been set up at the Centre.”
Das also suggested that the companies take up 32 Industrial Training Institutes. He identified West Singbhum district and six districts of the Santhal Pargana region for work in a planned and focused manner.
The press release estimated that the proposed CSR in Jharkhand for the current financial year is about 4 billion rupees.
The other suggested list of activities underlined by the Council are health, nutrition, education, planning & development; art, culture & sports.
Jharkhand is a hub of industries. Both business and economy are a major component of the administrative set up of this state.
Two steel plants are located in Jharkhand. These steel plants not only contribute toward the economy of the state but also of India.
Among the other important steel plants that form an integral part of the business and economy at Jharkhand are:
Indian Tube Company, Jamshedpur; Sriram Bearing, Ranchi; Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company, Jamshedpur; Usha Martin, Ranchi
Jharkhand is also rich in minerals. The abundance in minerals enhances the prospects of the industries in the state. Some important minerals found in Jharkhand are: Chromate, Mica, Iron, Copper, Limestone, Asbestos, Uranium, Gold, Manganese, Silver, Bauxite and Coal.