For a 100-metre tall statue of Lord Ram by the river Saryu, a pet project of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government wants private companies to spend almost hundreds of crores from their CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility budgets.
The cost of the Ram statue is a staggering Rs 330 crore.
A booklet by UP's tourism department released 10 days ago and titled "Opportunities of investment under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Tourism Sector", showcases similar plans for 86 tourism projects in cities like Ayodhya, Varanasi - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency - and Gorakhpur.
The plan has sparked a political row.
"Ultimately business houses get tax exemptions under CSR, so it's the common man who is paying for these statues. You have a big party, why not ask for money directly from them Yogiji? CSR funds, in my understanding, are not meant for this purpose but Yogiji is redefining social responsibility each day," said Juhi Singh, spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party. "In the past, such funds have been used for schools, for the welfare of women and children," she added.
The UP government says it's not the first time something like this is being attempted.
India's leading public sector oil companies contributed over Rs 121 crore towards the 'Statue of Unity', a giant statue of Sardar Patel in Gujarat as part of their CSR spend in 2017, said a Livemint report.
Asked whether corporate spending on a Lord Ram statue instead of critical infrastructure like hospitals is justified, state Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi says: "CSR funds are not limited. We can only appeal to the private sector. We can't force them. It's not religious tourism. Take it as an attempt to create jobs. Tell me one business house that doesn't invest in temples. All political leaders go to temples, show me one who doesn't."
The cost of the Ram statue is a staggering Rs 330 crore.
A booklet by UP's tourism department released 10 days ago and titled "Opportunities of investment under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Tourism Sector", showcases similar plans for 86 tourism projects in cities like Ayodhya, Varanasi - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency - and Gorakhpur.
The UP government says it's not the first time something like this is being attempted.
Advertisement
Asked whether corporate spending on a Lord Ram statue instead of critical infrastructure like hospitals is justified, state Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi says: "CSR funds are not limited. We can only appeal to the private sector. We can't force them. It's not religious tourism. Take it as an attempt to create jobs. Tell me one business house that doesn't invest in temples. All political leaders go to temples, show me one who doesn't."
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
IFFM 2024: Ram Charan To Be Awarded Ambassador For Indian Art And Culture "I'm A Nepo Kid," Admits Chirag Paswan, But Calls It "Double-Edged Sword" UP Villagers Forced To Demolish Homes After Saryu Water Levels Rise Massive Worldwide Microsoft Outage: Flights, Markets, Stock Exchange Down CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor: The Culprit Behind World's Biggest IT Outage UPSC Cracks Down, Says Puja Khedkar Faked Identity, Parents' Name, Address Microsoft Outage "Affecting IT Operations" Paris Olympics Organisers Biden Or Trump, It's Still A Long Wait For Indian 'Dreamers' In US ISRO Chief Gets His PhD From IIT-Madras: "A Village Boy's Dream Fulfilled" Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.