Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari has issued a stern directive to major coal mining and power companies to accelerate their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
Chairing a high-level review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan, the Minister emphasized that providing welfare facilities to local communities is a moral and social obligation for companies profiting from the state’s natural resources. He focused especially on the main coal districts — Angul, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, and Sundargarh.
One of the biggest points was the urgent push for infrastructure and healthcare improvements. Pujari told officials to allocate CSR funds right away for a new university in Jharsuguda, asking officials to sort out land identification as soon as possible. He also called for resources to get started on a Cardiac Care Hospital and a stadium at Lakhanpur, along with several other projects that directly benefit the local people.
He demanded senior officials at Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) clear all pending CSR funds as soon as possible. The meeting brought in big industry names — NTPC, Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC), NLC India Limited, and MCL. Pujari made it clear: departmental officers need to make sure the funds are actually being used well, and welfare schemes move quickly so people in the coal belt really see the benefit.
The meeting saw high-level participation, including Dr. Arabinda Padhee (Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management), Pradeep Kumar Sahoo (Private Secretary to the Minister), and top executives like Uday A. Kaole (MD of MCL) were there. Meeting was joined virtually by the Revenue Commissioner of the Northern Division and District Collectors from Jharsuguda, Angul, Sambalpur, and Sundargarh joined in — all working to sync up their administrative plans with what the companies promised.
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