New Delhi: The public sector oil companies have spent Rs 5582.34 crore under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) in various parts of the country during the last three years -- 2018-19 to 2020-21, said Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameswar Teli in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

He said that public sector oil companies have been earmarking two per cent of their average net profits made during the three immediately preceding financial years as per Section 135 of the Companies Act and the CSR activities are undertaken under the heads identified under Schedule VII of the Companies Act 2013.

The Minister said that public sector oil companies do impact assessment exercise of some of their major CSR projects internally or through external agencies. However, as per changes made in CSR rules by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in January, 2021, it has been decided that impact assessment of CSR projects having outlays of one crore rupees or more, shall be undertaken through an independent agency. /BI/