Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives for Displaced People and the Level of Awareness thereof: A Study of Hydro Power Project in Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

 In India, development-induced displacement is common. Many multinational corporations establish themselves in the name of development by seizing the land of rural people under the pretext of development making them the victims of this process. To contain the negative impact of development, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a transformative initiative that Indian businesses have been asked to engage in. CSR is a positive move toward collective upliftment and community well-being as mandated by the government. CSR initiatives in India must have to be in line with the socio-economic development of the country. In the recent times, in India, CSR has become a renewed enterprise for social change. And with the changes in CSR norms, it has provided a new tool for development and related activities.CSR, whether directly or indirectly, aids in relief and rehabilitation of effected people. In the present study, the contribution of CSR initiatives has been examined towards relief and rehabilitation of effected people due to establishment of Hydro Power Projects in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The government has made it mandatory for the project developers to address certain specific conditions for the betterment of the effected/displaced people. The developers participated in a great deal in the process of development through the CSR initiatives. The change is visible at the grassroots levels in the area of study.