SC refuses to entertain Mahua Moitra's plea challenging circular excluding CM relief funds from CSR

The petition, filed by Moitra, had challenged a circular issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs last month which directed that any donations made to the Chief Ministers' Relief Fund will not qualify under the CSR expenditure of a company.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain TMC MP Mahua Moitra's petition challenging a circular excluding Chief Ministers' relief funds from the purview of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

While refusing to interfere with the petition, a bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said that it is up to the Parliament to debate and decide on the matter.

"We are not going to listen," Justice Kaul, another judge on the bench, said.

The petition, filed by Moitra, had challenged a circular issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs last month which directed that any donations made to the Chief Ministers' Relief Fund will not qualify under the CSR expenditure of a company.

However, the circular said that donations made to the PM-CARES Fund will qualify under CSR.

The petition sought directions to allow donations made to the Chief Ministers' Relief Fund to qualify under CSR expenditure.

( With inputs from ANI )