Hans News Service Hyderabad

ChiefMinister A Revanth Reddy emphasised that contributions made towards social development by corporate companies should be considered as a subscription of partners and not merely as expenditure in the development of the state or the wellbeing of the people.

At a meeting regarding Corporate Social Responsibility funds with representatives of various companies on Wednesday, the Chief Minister stressed that spending under CSR initiatives must yield one hundred per cent positive results.

He explained that the government has accorded top priority to education, healthcare, and water resource conservation. Revanth Reddy suggested that companies choose sectors on their own to utilise these funds.

He noted that students will possess the skills to grab global opportunities if the government and companies spend money combined. He further stated that the government considers expenditure on education as an investment in future generations. He pointed out that 44 per cent of the state student population resides within Hyderabad city alone and asserted that the responsibility of providing them with quality education rests upon all stakeholders. Since companies utilise local infrastructure available in a region, the Chief Minister said management should allocate a significant portion of their CSR funds toward the development of that same region.

In view of the lack of a proper mechanism for the utilisation of such funds, the Chief Minister said the government has already appointed a Special Chief Secretary specifically for this purpose. Company representatives were requested to coordinate with the official to utilise their funds for any area of interest, such as education, healthcare, water resources, skill development, preservation of heritage structures, or forest conservation.

The Chief Minister praised Raheja Group, Ramky Group, and Yashoda Foundation for already coming forward with contributions of Rs 50 crore, Rs 50 crore, and Rs 10 crore, respectively, toward the development of the education sector. Other representatives in the meeting told the Chief Minister that no one had ever approached them regarding CSR funds before.

They appreciated Revanth Reddy for taking the initiative and expressed their readiness to provide funds for school education, healthcare, and the conservation of heritage structures.

Shravan Kumar from the Raheja Foundation, Dakshayani Alla from the Ramky Foundation, Gorukanti Surender Rao and Gorukanti Phalgun Rao from Yashoda Hospitals, Sudha Reddy from Megha, Aparna Reddy and Kamineni Bhaskar Reddy from Apollo Hospitals, Sekhar Reddy from the Indian Green Building Council, and Pagidipati Devayya and Rudramadevi from the NAADAM Foundation attended the meeting.

The government intends to provide all necessary support to ensure these corporate initiatives are executed effectively. This collaborative approach aims to bridge the gap between industrial growth and social equity by ensuring that the benefits of Hyderabad’s economic success are shared with the most vulnerable sections of the community through improved public services and infrastructure.