2,351 Companies Spend Nil, 776 Firms Engage NGOs

As many as 2,351 companies have not spent a single penny on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, while a total of 776 firms have engaged NGOs for implementing such tasks, Parliament was informed today.

The new Companies Act mandates every company with a networth of Rs 500 crore to set aside minimum 2% of their 3-year average annual net profit for CSR activities.

An assessment of CSR expenditure of 4,257 companies indicates that these firms have spent about 72% of the mandated amount on CSR activities, Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

Of these, 621 firms have spent more than prescribed amount, while 400 companies spent ‘exactly’ the same amount as prescribed under the rules.

Further, 261 firms have spent 66%-99% of their mandated CSR funds, while 624 companies spent less than 66% of the prescribed amount. As many as 2,351 companies have not spent any amount on CSR activities. Out of the total 4,257 firms, 776 have engaged NGOs for implementing CSR, he said.

In a separate reply Jaitley said, “organising private sports tournaments and one-off activities are not permissible under CSR of companies under the Companies Act 2013 and the rules there under.”