The Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply today that Oil companies take up schemes and programmes for the welfare of people residing in neighbourhood of projects includes SC, ST, OBC & Minorities communities out of their CSR funds.  The thrust areas under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are on issues like child care and education, scholarship scheme for SC/ST, health care, drinking water, skill  development, infrastructure development, swachh vidyalaya abhiyan, construction of school toilets, vocational training, community development, women empowerment, promotion of arts, sports, literature and culture etc. These schemes/projects also address the welfare/development of deprived, under privileged, neglected and weaker section of the society.

The expenditure incurred by various oil PSUs in the welfare and development of SC/ST/OBC & Minorities communities residing in neighbourhood of projects in across the country for the year 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-2015  and 2015-16 are as following:

Note: (1)  * – Provisional,  (2) ** – Allocation for FY 2015-16,

In ONGC, with regard to fund under the Component Plan for SC/ST, a case No.5/6/12 was registered by CBI in the year 2012 under IPC & PC Act against some employees of ONGC for abusing their official position and misappropriating funds allocated for welfare of SC/ST communities.  After investigation, CBI recommended initiation of major penalty proceeding against one employee and minor penalty proceedings against three employees of ONGC. ONGC suspended the employee and has given prosecution sanction for court proceeding against him.  In addition major penalty disciplinary proceeding has also been initiated against the concerned employee.