New Delhi: The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh wants to tap into India Inc’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to build a 100-metre tall statue of Lord Ram on the banks of Saryu in Ayodhya – to bring about ‘social development’. This move by the Aditiyanath-led government could lead to further expansion of Schedule 7 of the Companies Act which outlines areas where such funds can be deployed.CSR funds are mostly spent by companies on projects relating to education, healthcare, poverty alleviation and women empowerment. The objective is to complement government efforts in addressing the socio-economic inequality prevailing in the country.According to media reports, the state government has opened up 86 tourism projects worth Rs 2,725 crore in ten towns, including Varanasi and Gorakhpur, to companies that may want to spend their mandatory 2% of net profit under CSR on them. Two big-ticket projects of the 86 on offer are in Ayodhya – a 100-meter high Lord Ram statue at a cost of Rs 330 crore and development of a ‘Navyu Ayodhya’ (New Ayodhya) on the banks of the Saryu at Rs 350 crore, complete with a 7D Ramlila, Ramkatha gallery, light and sound show on Ramlila and musical fountains.CSR guidelines came into effect on April 1, 2014. Schedule 7 does not mention the outright construction of religious symbols. However, CSR funds can be spent by companies on “protection of national heritage, art and culture including restoration of buildings and sites of historical importance and works of art”, says the Act.After the Modi government came into power, CSR contributions to the Swachh Bharat Kosh and Clean Ganga Fund were made eligible for tax exemption. Will the scope of Schedule 7 further expand to permit CSR spending on construction and maintenance of religious symbols?The projects were announced by the chief minister last year, soon after former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav announced his plan to build a 50-metre tall statue of Lord Krishna in Saifai. The UP government has come out with a 26-page booklet it has prepared with knowledge partner EY, listing projects eligible for investment under CSR.“We are still to publicise this… but it is part of our new policy,” UP principal secretary (tourism) Awanish Kumar Awasthi told Economic Times.Four such projects in Ayodhya have the biggest budget at Rs 755 crore. “Ayodhya holds a place of pride among devotees of Lord Ram… Ayodhya has a large potential to become an international tourist destination,” according to a booklet published by the state tourism.The plan to develop the Gorakhpur temple campus, which would entail an investment of Rs 45 crore, also finds mentions in the booklet. Adityanath continues to hold the post of head priest of the Gorakhnath temple.Other proposals are a Rs 75 crore ropeway project above the Sangam in Allahabad where the Kumbh will be organised in 2019, a Rs 200 crore redevelopment of the Parikarma route around Mathura’s Goverdhan Hill, which Lord Krishna is said to have lifted, and revitalisation of the Panchkoshi Parikarma route in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, for Rs 100 crore.Projects including street rejuvenation in Varanasi and Ayodhya, illumination of main monuments in these towns and a light and sound show at Varanasi’s Assi Ghat are on offer, too.In the booklet, Awasthi writes that supporting tourism projects helps to generate local employment and ensures inclusive growth.“Partnering with businesses and combining complimentary resources and strengths can be instrumental for government to bring about social development. It encourages private sector companies, on a voluntary basis, to form partnerships with government to facilitate projects focussing on social development and raise the Human Development Index of the state,” Awasthi has written.
