New Delhi, Dec 7 : A parliamentary question raised this week appears to have inadvertently revealed how public sector undertakings (PSUs) often shift focus from projects when ministerial leadership changes.

In the Rajya Sabha, data on corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditures by oil PSUs in Odisha over the past five years brought this trend to light.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who served as the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas from 2014 to 2021, played a pivotal role in directing CSR funds to Odisha. During his tenure, oil PSUs significantly prioritized Odisha, spending a whopping ₹350 crore in the fiscal year 2019-2020 alone.

However, the following year saw a dramatic decline, with CSR spending dropping to ₹91.66 crore in 2020-2021. It is unclear whether this reduction was linked to the reallocation of funds to the PM CARES Fund, which was established in March 2020, or to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Despite this dip, Pradhan’s influence appeared to bring CSR investments back up to ₹114 crore in 2021-2022, during his final year overseeing the petroleum ministry. As a Rajya Sabha MP rather than a directly elected representative, Pradhan’s ability to channel funds to his home state of Odisha highlighted his substantial political sway.

In July 2021, Pradhan transitioned to the education ministry, and the shift in CSR funding priorities became evident. The fiscal year 2022-2023 witnessed a sharp decline, with oil PSUs allocating only ₹39.8 crore to Odisha—marking an almost nine-fold reduction compared to the peak of 2019-2020.

The trend continued into the latest fiscal year, 2023-2024, with CSR spending by oil PSUs for Odisha further declining to ₹34.5 crore.

The data underscores how leadership changes can significantly influence CSR fund allocation, raising questions about the sustainability of projects that rely heavily on ministerial backing.