Bhubaneswar, Sept. 2: Micro, small and medium enterprises minister Prafulla Samal said the state government had envisaged a plan to attract investments to the tune of Rs 2.5 lakh crore by 2025 that will generate 10 lakh jobs.

The state is expanding its industrial base and developing a long-term roadmap for industrial development of Odisha to attain this growth, he said.

Samal was speaking at the Odisha CSR Conclave organised by India Success Forum in Bhubaneswar as a part of an initiative to facilitate awareness on its CSR activities in the region.

Inaugurating the conclave as the chief guest, Samal the state government viewed the contribution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to be more significant and result-oriented with its set goals in view. He also emphasised that the CSR initiatives should not be viewed as a discretionary cost, but a social investment with tangible financial returns.

Samal, who also holds the social security & empowerment of persons with disabilities portfolio, said CSR funds and district mineral funds should be utilised in a more transparent manner so that marginal communities in the region could avail of their benefits.

He also hailed the success of the state's MSME sector, which generates the maximum employment after agriculture. The government has several initiatives to rejuvenate and facilitate the growth and development of the sector, he said, and stressed that CSR was not only a responsibility of corporate groups, but also society as a whole.

The minister also offered government guidance to ensure that CSR spending by corporate houses were not done indiscriminately, but according to local needs. He said the government had limited resources and it was important to use CSR funds to accelerate development. CSR funds should be effectively utilised to eradicate the problems of illiteracy, malnutrition, gender imbalance, lack of health services and connectivity.

Social security & empowerment of persons with disabilities department principal secretary Niten Chandra gave a presentation on various initiatives taken up by the department. He said CSR funds could be meaningfully utilised for social security and mainstreaming of persons with disabilities.

Other dignitaries also highlighted the CSR initiatives of the government and respective industries. Participants from leading corporate houses, industry department, NGOs, and students attended the conclave. A series of panel discussions on CSR followed the inaugural session.