Cement, Energy & Environment

Similarly, ONGC allocated Rs. 1,036 crore but used only around half (Rs.510 crore). NTPC allocated a total of Rs. '135 crore on CSR activities but rnannged to u::.c Rs. 100 crore only. Cowtesy: The Fin;;,nria/ Express New Delhi, 03.12.2012. CSR SPEND- VOLUNTARY TO COMPULSORY If it wasn't bad enough that the new Companies Bill makes is mandatory for companies to allocate and spend 2 per cent of their average profrts for the last three years on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). the new corporate affairs minister Sachin Pilot plans to make this even more stringent. According to a news report in FE on 03.12. 2012; Pilot plans to set up a national level SPY-where, say, industry bodies like Ficci and Cll can have a stake-where all the funds will be deposited . Thrs is expected to be around Rs. 9,000 crore The SPY will also come up with guidelines on how CSR spending is to be done-so maybe that school a company funded for its employees' children may not actually qualify as CSR. And once there is a central SPV, it seems only a matter of time till, for instance, the political class rnay start clamouring for some sort of reservation in terms of where the money should be spent. Companies may think developing the area around their plant qualifies as CSR, it's not clear whether the SPY will rule this will make the cut. A meeting in the capital tomorrow with leading corporales will provide some clarity. All of which makes you wonder why India Inc is paying the taxes is does. Apart from the corporate taxes, excise duties, import duties and so on that India Inc pays each year, it pays another Rs. 27 ,000 crore or so (individuals pay another Rs . 5,700 crore) in the form of education cesses. This is used to partially fund the Rs. 74,000 crore education budget. Of this , Rs. 34,000 crore is for elementary education and , after spending this amount, the government still needed to mandate private schools to reserve a fourth of their seats for candidates the government chooses. And while there is no mandatory jobs reservation in the private sector as yet, there is enough moral 'suasion. Time for all of India Inc to adopt that famous Tata Steel tagline to "We also make profits". Courtesy· The Financial Express New Delhi, 04.12.2012 INVITATION FOR CONTRIBUTIONS Ongtnal contributions are invited in the following broad areas of cement industry operations: •!• Energy Management and Saving •!• Environmental Manageme11t and Improvement •!• Producttvity Enhancement •:• MateriCII Conservation Typically, these could be: •:• Success stories on Energy Saving, Environmental Improvement, Material Conservation; •!• Oiagrostic/Case studies on soecific problems/deficiencies met with in plant operation; ·:· Reports on Pr:>ductivity enhancement studies/campaigns, •:· Reports on Benchmarking of plant performance; •:• Results of R&D on energy efficient technologies/machinery: •!• Results on plant renewal/modernisation ; and ·:· Summary Proceedings (with recommendations where available) of Seminars/ Conferences devoted to Energy Environment and Productivity matters in cement industry Authors are requested to send their contributions to Secretary General, Cement Manufacturers' Association, CMA Tower, A-2E, Sector 24, Noida- 201 301 (U.P.), India, preferably in CD. It will be appreciated if material is supported by ample graphics and colour photographs. Printed by Hansh Panchal a11d published by Harish Panchal on behalf of Cement Manufacturers' Association at 21,12·47 Gurudwara Rand, Karol Bagh, New Delhi- 110005 and printed at Jay Kay Offset printers, 17 DSIDC Category II, Rohtak Road, Nangloi Industrial Area, Delhi-110041 ---- -----·-- ---- ____________________.J 43