Involving Civil Society in CSR: Vedanta shows the way

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a fashionable term in Orissa, in recent years. A number of hoarding spread across the cities and advertisements are made in newspapers regarding the company’s claim that they addressing important development needs of the community. However, participation by independent Civil Society member is lacking in most case.
The recent move by Vedanta Aluminium to involve some of the noted Civil Society members – like Bureaucrats, Writers, Women Activist, Academicians and Cine Artists – is a welcome step. It will give a new dimension to the CSR practice in the state. As per the newspaper sources, the company has formed a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) advisory board, meant to act as a bridge between the company and the people of Orissa. The board is expected to monitor the CSR initiatives of the company and to ensure that the benefits of CSR efforts reach out to the society at large. Involving the Civil Society in its CSR program, Vedanta has led the way.
Another important aspect is that all the members in the board are Odiya people. The present members are Mr PK Jena Chairman of Institute of Advance Technology & Environmental Studies, Mr SB Mishra and Sahadev Sahoo both former chief secretaries of Government of Orissa, Mr ON Mohanty vice chancellor of Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Mr AB Tripathy retired director general of Police, Mr AB Ota director SC &ST Research and Development Centre, Government of Orissa, actor Mr Bijay Mohanty, besides three women of repute Ms Rita Ray professor, Department of Sociology of Utkal University, Ms Namita Panda chairperson State Women Commission and eminient writer Ms Pratibha Ray. All these people are achievers in their own level and their contribution to Orissa is undebatable.
These people will show the right directions to the Company for their CSR investment for reaching to the people of Orissa in a better way.
Other Companies should also take cue from Vedanta. Such kind of initiatives not only gives a kind of authenticity to the CSR work, but also helps the company in planning and executing the required CSR activities to address the human, social and environmental issues.