Thursday, August 28, 2014

‘Swachh Bharat’ to be executed in mission mode, says Nitin Gadkari

‘Swachh Bharat’ to be executed in mission mode, says Nitin Gadkari

India TV news desk [ Updated  ]
‘Swachh Bharat’ to be executed in mission mode, says Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi: Calling for practical approach to achieve the goal of sanitation for all by 2019, Union Minister for Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation Nitin Gadkari said the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build ‘Swachh Bharat’ by 2019 will be executed in a mission mode.

Speaking at a National Conference on Sanitation and Drinking Water here, Gadkari said, the current allocation of Rs 10,000 per toilet in rural areas is insufficient and soon the amount will be increased to achieve the real target. 

Lamenting that even after 67 years of Independence, 60 per cent people in India defecate in open, Gadkari said that. 

He also emphasized that massive funds will be mobilized for this purpose under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

He also asked the state ministers, who attended the conference, to come up with practical and area specific approach to toilets and assured them that funds will not be a constraint.

He called for quality works so that toilets could last upto thirty to forty years and laid emphasis on suitable low cost technology for that purpose. 

The Minister said that a new scheme will be launched in the next two months to address the problem of drinking water and especially in 17,000 those villages having problems like arsenic, excessive fluoride, heavy metals and other pollutants.

Gadkari also called for timely flow of funds and e-transfer of money for speedy execution of projects.

Govt to pump extra money for rural toilets for Swachh Bharat by 2019, says Gadkari

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation
26-August-2014 14:55 IST
Govt to pump extra money for rural toilets for Swachh Bharat by 2019, says Gadkari
Union Minister for Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Nitin Gadkari has said that he has prepared a Cabinet note for considerable enhancement of monetary support for building different categories of rural toilets in the country to achieve the goal of sanitation for all by 2019. Speaking at a National Workshop on Sanitation and Drinking Water here, the Minister said, for individual household latrines the amount will be raised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000, for school toilets Rs 54,000 will be given instead of Rs 35,000. Similarly for Anganwadi toilets, the amount will be now Rs 20,000 in place of Rs 8,000 and for Community Sanitary complexes, the amount proposed is Rs 6 lakh from the existing Rs 2 lakh. Shri Gadkari also said that construction of toilets in rural areas will be delinked from MGNREGA.

He called for fast decisions and sought support of all sections of society to achieve the goal of open defecation free India in the next four and half years. He also urged the State Ministers and Senior officials attending the workshop to work in the spirit of cooperative federalism to achieve the dream project of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to build Swachh Bharat by 2019.

Shri Gadkari underlined the need for quality works and suitable low cost effective technologies for toilets to last upto thirty to forty years. To address the problem of drinking water especially in those 17,000 habitations having problems like arsenic, excessive fluoride, heavy metals and other pollutants, the Minister said that a new scheme will be launched in the next two months to address this issue and it will be resolved on a war footing level.

Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Pankaj Jain said that Prime Minister Shri Modi has personally expressed anguish in his Independence Day speech and expressed the commitment of his Government to achieve ‘Swachh Bharat’ by 2019 as a tribute to the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, by eliminating the unhealthy practice of Open Defecation. He said, by 15th of August 2015 every school in India will have separate toilets for boys and girls. Shri Jain said that IEC can play an important role in spreading the message of toilets in every rural habitation and appealed to the Corporate to chip in a big way for this purpose.

In his address, the noted scientist Dr R.A.Mashelkar said, the innovative ideas should not remain only ideas, but must be put into practical use for rejuvenation of India. He said, speed, scale and sustainability are three key factors of innovations and by translating them into usable products, the face of rural India will be changed. Dr Mashelkar said, Innovation and not Imitation should be the buzzword and he added that Indian problems need India specific solutions and not western imitations.

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INDIA’S CORPORATE SECTOR CAN DO WONDERS, SAYS THE PRESIDENT

Press Releases

INDIA’S CORPORATE SECTOR CAN DO WONDERS, SAYS THE PRESIDENT

Rashtrapati Bhavan : 24.08.2014
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee said India’s corporate sector can do wonders. He was addressing the first batch of students of Post Graduate Diploma in Management progarmme at Murshidabad, West Bengal today (August 24, 2014). He also inaugurated the new campus of the Management Development Institute (MDI), Murshidabad at Jangipur on the occasion.
The President said corporate sector of India has undergone massive change since the economic reforms of 90s when potential of Indian entrepreneurs was unleashed. Indian companies are now investing abroad in big way, bringing global practices to India.
The modern day Indian manager does not have the baggage of the past. He has the courage and ability to compete with the best anywhere in the world. Indian companies areamong the largest investors and creators of jobs in United Kingdom and our corporate sector is capable of doing wonders.
The President said the vision and approach of recent times and the manner in which issues are being tackled gives the confidence that we will return to the economic growth rate of 7-8% soon. This is the minimum essential to find solutions to our problem of poverty. We must fulfill our huge responsibility of training and skilling 50 crore youth by 2022. Soon 20 per cent of whole world’s working population will be in India and 50 per cent of our population will be under 30. We will be able to reap the demographic dividend only if we can provide skills and improve employability of our youth.
Pointing out that MDI has a Food Park situated next to it, the President said establishing the twotogether in a backward area is a novel concept which should give impetus and thrust to the rural economy.
The President reminded students to carry with them a message from the soil as they graduate. While comforts and placements are important, students have a larger responsibility to the people and society of this great country. Each one of them are products not just of the investments of their family but also of entire society. It is, therefore, legitimate that society expects reasonable dividend from them and they must pay the same.
Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Shri Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs and Shri Abhijit Mukherjee, MP.
This release issued at 1550 hrs.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Direct CSR expenditure towards toilets for schools - Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The Act, under Schedule VII, has also laid down the areas where the companies can spend for the CSR purpose.

Ahead of launching ‘Clean India’ campaign from October 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked India Inc to spend on building toilets in schools for children under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) mandate.
“I call upon the corporate sector also to give priority to the provision of toilets in schools with your expenditure under CSR. This target should be finished within one year with the help of state governments and on the next August 15, we should be in a firm position to announce that there is no school in India without separate toilets for boys and girls,” Modi said.
Under the Companies Act, 2013, as per Section 135, companies having net worth of Rs 500 crore or turnover of Rs 1,000 crore are mandated to spend 2 per cent of their average net profits during the preceding three years, with effect from April 1 this year. In case of their inability to do so, they have to report the reasons for the same to shareholders.
The Act, under Schedule VII, has also laid down the areas where the companies can spend for the CSR purpose.
Stressing on ‘dignity of women’ and respect for poor, Modi said the government will “launch a ‘Clean India’ campaign from October 2 and carry it forward in four years.”
“I want to make a beginning today itself and that is — all schools in the country should have toilets with separate toilets for girls. Only then our daughters will not be compelled to leave schools midway. Our parliamentarians utilising MPLAD fund are there. I appeal to them to spend it for constructing toilets in schools for a year. The government should utilise its budget on providing toilets,” he added. Corporates said that the announcement is appreciable and in the right direction. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CMD, Biocon, said, “It was good speech, very inspiring. Everyone (corporates) is already doing it, we will continue to do so. He has reiterated.”
Industry body CII said that it would work with both the Centre and state governments on developing an effective programme for school toilets across the country.

Companies have to comply with CSR norms: Govt

(Nirmala Sitharaman said…)
NEW DELHI, AUG. 12:
Government will keep close watch on social welfare spending by corporates to check whether they are complying with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) norms under the new companies law.
Certain class of profitable companies are required to spend at least two per cent of their three-year average annual net profit towards CSR activities. The norms came into force from April 1.
Replying to questions in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman said the Companies Act, 2013 came into operation this year only and the government was watching the spendings under CSR.
“We are keenly watching” the companies,” she said, adding, in case a company does not meet the norms, government would certainly ask for reasons.
The Act does not mandate CSR for all companies. However, every company having net worth or net profit of Rs 500 crore or more or turnover of Rs 1,000 crore or more during any financial year has to constitute a CSR Committee of the Board and take up CSR activities.
Sitharaman said there are no tax exemptions for CSR activities, except for spending on 11 specific activities.
In her written reply, she said the issue of amending rules relating to CSR with a view to plugging any loophole can be examined only after some information about the actual implementation is available.
As relevant provisions of the law have come into force this year and CSR policies of companies are in the process of formulation, specific details would be available once Board reports are available after September, 2015, she said.
(This article was published on August 12, 2014)