27 May 2021: In a bid to facilitate Corporates to connect state
officials regarding their Corporate Social Responsibility Project (CSR),
Karnataka government has launched a new platform ‘Akansha’ which stands for ‘an
integrated platform for SDG and CSR alignment’.
On Wednesday, state Chief Minister BS
Yediyurappa launched the online comprehensive portal and claimed that it will
help corporates to connect with concerned officials in his government and also
with implementing partners.
In a statement, the state government said,
"To achieve sustainable and holistic development of the State of Karnataka, the
Department of Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics, Government of
Karnataka and UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goals Coordination Centre (SDGCC)
has created a unique CSR matchmaking Platform: "AKANKSHA" to support and
facilitate collaborations with Public Private Partnerships / CSR Organisations
/ Foundations/ NGOs/ Multilaterals / Line Departments of the Government."
On the occasion, the chief minister
Yediyurappa appreciated the cooperation from corporates, NGOs and individuals
in the fight against the pandemic.
He said that his government has received Rs
175 crore under CSR funds for the health sector.
He also claimed that this is the first of
its kind portal in the country which will work as a bridge between government
and corporates willing to spend their CSR money on Sustainable Development
Goals.
The Karnataka government was supported by
United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP) in creating the portal. This
will also help in implementing UN-mandated sustainable development goals, said
the chief minister.
The portal claims to facilitate CSR
stakeholders for smooth project implementation and also hassle-free departmental
approvals and simple MoU signing process. It will also create a live dashboard
to review the project progress and KPIs. It also claims to recognise CSR
stakeholders and scale-up the best CSR projects.
For citizens also, the platform has
something to offer. They can view ongoing projects in the state. It will offer
them the opportunity to extend volunteering support for the stakeholders.
NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh
Kant said the portal will help uniform development of all parts of the state.
Kant and UNDP representatives participated in the programme in virtual mode.
