Only 10% of 'Clean Ganga Fund' from Private Firms
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Business
None of the big names of Indian industry figures in the list of companies that have contributed to the Fund.
The remaining 7.35 per cent of the Fund value — Rs 10.12 crore — came from individuals, including non-resident Indians, according to information received in response to an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The government’s push for additional resources to clean the Ganga seems to have had a limited impact. Over the last two and a half years, more than 80 per cent of donations to the Clean Ganga Fund — created to accept voluntary contributions from individuals and organisations — have come from public sector companies.
Until the end of February, the Fund, set up in September 2014, had received Rs 137.6 crore in donations. More than 82% came from public sector companies, and just about 10 per cent — a little over Rs 14 crore — from private companies.
The remaining 7.35 per cent of the Fund value — Rs 10.12 crore — came from individuals, including non-resident Indians, according to information received in response to an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
None of the big names of Indian industry figures in the list of companies that have contributed to the Fund. Most of the contributors are small and medium enterprises. Bank of America is the single largest contributor among private companies, having given Rs 4.67 crore in two installments. That alone accounts for a third of all contributions from the private sector.
Contributions to the Clean Ganga Fund enjoy 100 per cent tax exemption and count as fulfilling Corporate Social Responsibility obligations. But that does not appear to have been a strong enough incentive for the private sector.
While the average contribution from each public sector donor is Rs 1.8 crore, each private company has given only Rs 16.9 lakh on average.
The single biggest contributor to the Fund has been General Insurance Corporation of India, which has given Rs 25 crore in two installments.
The NDA government’s revamped plan for cleaning and rejuvenating the Ganga, called Namami Gange, has been allocated Rs 20,000 crore for the next five years.
Unlike previous efforts to clean the river, called the Ganga Action Plan, Namami Gange is funded entirely by the central government, and includes even operational and maintenance costs of sewage treatment plants to be built under the programme.
Read more: Indian Express
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2 Comments
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Where are all those wealth pious believers on the Ganga' sanctity, which their utmost tribute will be affecting the life of underprivileged too. While bathing into Ganga on religious ceremonies; only prayers are not enough: This reminded me of an article of mine:
Saadi's Sarcasm on the Even Then Unfulfilled Obligations; Centuries Back; Isn't It the Same Nowadays?
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Could the Indian Women Gold Wealth Be Utilized in a Financial Scheme, for Eradicating Poverty and the River Ganges Cleaning-Up?
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It is a known fact that general public/ individuals contribute voluntarily for any just cause or program where there is (1) Demonstrative clarity of purpose (2)Unchallengeable trust that those who manage the targeted tasks are all above board persons with ethics and integrity/ honesty (3) Transparency in mobilisation of funds and expenditure (source, purpose) and (4) No scope for nepotism/ favouritism and (5) Honest periodic reporting to Public who are trustees of the project/s.. Tell me whether even BOA knows as to where its moneys are exactly spent and with what visible results and for what purpose?