Maharashtra issues guidelines to avoid diversion of csr funds

It will be mandatory for gram panchayat and other local bodies to maintain detailed records of the help received in kind under CSR A file picture of a farmer from Palghar Maharashtra

government last week released strict guidelines to avoid corruption, diversion, and irregularities in the use of funds received under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by gram

panchayats and other local bodies across the state. The dos and don'ts were issued after the government found irregularities in some cases and also following the directives by the State

Lokayukta after it had received many complaints from tribal pockets in the vicinity of Mumbai with regard to the alleged diversion of CSR funds. Lokayukta had recently ordered the filing of

an First Information Report (FIR) against officials, gram sabha and gram panchayat heads for allegedly diverting and siphoning off CSR funds meant for development work in Thane and Palghar

districts. It will be mandatory for gram panchayat and other local bodies to maintain detailed records of the help received in kind under CSR. It will be their sole responsibility to keep a

vigil on the regular use of those goods. They will also have to make a budgetary allocation for the upkeep and maintenance of those goods in case the concerned companies have not given any

money for the same. A senior officer, who is associated with the government's initiative to attract more and more CSR funds, told DNA, "It is a must for gram panchayats and other

local bodies to use the money on work for which the companies have handed it over to them. The money will to be used judiciously without keeping any room for corruption." He said these

bodies will have to deposit the fund received in cash as self revenue. The government wants local bodies to take stern punitive or disciplinary action against concerned personnel if found

guilty for the irregularities and misuse or diversion of funds received under CSR. ''The action should be similar to what various departments initiate against erring employees in

the wake of misuse or irregularity of government funds,'' the officer informed. These guidelines are crucial especially when the government has launched a plan to involve

corporates to fund development activities. The government proposes to transform at least 10,000 villages by 2019 through CSR funding for various development activities including water

conservation, farm ponds, rural health, roads and approach roads in rural areas, tribal development, internet penetration and forest conservation.