• The biggest donation has come from state-run oil exploration company ONGC, which has committed a support of Rs 300 crore from its CSR fund

• In addition to the CSR funds, PSU employees too have supported the government by contributing part of their salaries

New Delhi: As India celebrates Public Sector Day to commemorate the contribution made by PSUs towards building the nation, it makes sense to review the contribution made by the biggest PSUs of India to the government at a time when the country is battling COVID-19 spread. India has a total of 10 Maharatna PSUs and they have jointly contributed a total of Rs 1,577 crore to the PM CARES fund through CSR (corporate Social Responsibility) in order to aid the government in its fight against Corona crisis.

This is how much each of India's Maharatna PSUs have donated to PM CARES

The biggest donation has come from state-run oil exploration company ONGC, which has committed a support of Rs 300 crore from its CSR funds to the PM CARES fund. NTPC, which is India's largest power generation company, has pledged an amount of Rs 250 crore. IndianOil, India's largest oil marketing company, has donated Rs 225 crore under CSR to help the government in its fight against COVID-19 spread. While Coal India has pledged Rs 220 crore under CSR, PowerGrid has offered Rs 200 crore, BPCL (which is slated for disinvestment) Rs 175 crore, HPCL Rs 120 crore, GAIL has donated Rs 50 crore, SAIL Rs 30 crore and BHEL has contributed Rs 7 crore under CSR.

PSU employees have contributed part of their salaries

In addition to the CSR funds, PSU employees too have supported the government by contributing part of their salaries to PM CARES fund. Employees in the oil PSU sector have contributed a total of Rs 61 crore to the fund, while the power PSU employees have pitched in with a support of Rs 16.39 crore.

Extending a helping hand in other ways

The PSUs are not just ensuring the delivery of essential items like LPG cylinders, petrol, diesel, ATF (air turbine fuel) and coal and electricity to keep the nation running, they are also reaching out to the poor in the regions they operate in, and have been pitching in with whatever help they can — providing masks, food, delivering vegetables and other everyday essentials to consumers, involving local communities and self-help groups to manufacture masks, running community kitchens and providing food to those stranded outside and preparing medical infrastructure and manufacturing equipment to bolster India's emergency response towards COVID-19 pandemic.