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The Sun
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Putra Heights fire: SPNB to rebuild, repair 17 houses from next week
KEPALA BATAS: Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) will rebuild and repair 17 houses affected by the April 1 gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights, Selangor, starting next week. SPNB chief executive officer Mohd Jamil Idris said this is an initial project involving 11 homes that were completely destroyed and six houses for renovation under the government allocation previously approved, namely a maximum of RM300,000 for rebuilding and RM150,000 for repairs. 'We have entered the area, and our contractors issued appointment letters to the affected residents this week. So, starting next week, they (the contractors) will start work at the site (of the affected houses). If we look at the data we have, so far, there are 17 houses... and this data may change,' he said. He told reporters this when met at the Urban Community Sustainability Programme (PKKB) and SPNB Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme in Taman Desa Kuala Muda here today, which was officiated by SPNB chairman Datuk Mohd Azmi Mohd Lila. The gas pipeline fire on April 1 caused flames to rise more than 30 metres high, with temperatures reaching over 1,000 degrees Celsius, causing 81 homes to be completely destroyed, with structural damage exceeding 40 per cent, 81 homes partially damaged, 57 homes affected but not burned, and 218 homes left unaffected. Meanwhile, Mohd Azmi said SPNB will build a total of 5,450 houses under the Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) project nationwide this year, with an allocation of RM504 million, to help B40 and low-income groups own homes. He said they have also implemented about half of the target as of May and aim to complete it all by the end of this year. 'We build these houses quite fast, in three months, mostly using conventional methods as well as IBS (Industrialised Building System), but there may be issues in terms of slight delays (for certain applications) because (there are) necessary processes,' he said. Mohd Azmi said the eligibility criteria for owning an RMR home include a household income not exceeding RM5,000, not currently owning a house and having their own land. 'The construction cost for each house is RM75,000, namely RM20,000 in the form of a government subsidy and the remaining RM55,000 as an interest-free loan. The monthly repayment is RM300 for about 16 years,' he said, adding that a total of 73,279 RMR units have been built nationwide since 2002. As for today's programme, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) contributed RM38,950 while SPNB chipped in with RM10,000. In addition, SPNB and Progressive Impact Technology Sdn Bhd also contributed a 4kWp solar panel system worth RM18,540 to educate the community about electricity savings, environmental friendliness, renewable energy, green technology adoption and promoting a healthier environment.
The Sun
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
SPNB to rebuild, repair 17 houses from next week
KEPALA BATAS: Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) will rebuild and repair 17 houses affected by the April 1 gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights, Selangor, starting next week. SPNB chief executive officer Mohd Jamil Idris said this is an initial project involving 11 homes that were completely destroyed and six houses for renovation under the government allocation previously approved, namely a maximum of RM300,000 for rebuilding and RM150,000 for repairs. 'We have entered the area, and our contractors issued appointment letters to the affected residents this week. So, starting next week, they (the contractors) will start work at the site (of the affected houses). If we look at the data we have, so far, there are 17 houses... and this data may change,' he said. He told reporters this when met at the Urban Community Sustainability Programme (PKKB) and SPNB Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme in Taman Desa Kuala Muda here today, which was officiated by SPNB chairman Datuk Mohd Azmi Mohd Lila. The gas pipeline fire on April 1 caused flames to rise more than 30 metres high, with temperatures reaching over 1,000 degrees Celsius, causing 81 homes to be completely destroyed, with structural damage exceeding 40 per cent, 81 homes partially damaged, 57 homes affected but not burned, and 218 homes left unaffected. Meanwhile, Mohd Azmi said SPNB will build a total of 5,450 houses under the Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) project nationwide this year, with an allocation of RM504 million, to help B40 and low-income groups own homes. He said they have also implemented about half of the target as of May and aim to complete it all by the end of this year. 'We build these houses quite fast, in three months, mostly using conventional methods as well as IBS (Industrialised Building System), but there may be issues in terms of slight delays (for certain applications) because (there are) necessary processes,' he said. Mohd Azmi said the eligibility criteria for owning an RMR home include a household income not exceeding RM5,000, not currently owning a house and having their own land. 'The construction cost for each house is RM75,000, namely RM20,000 in the form of a government subsidy and the remaining RM55,000 as an interest-free loan. The monthly repayment is RM300 for about 16 years,' he said, adding that a total of 73,279 RMR units have been built nationwide since 2002. As for today's programme, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) contributed RM38,950 while SPNB chipped in with RM10,000. In addition, SPNB and Progressive Impact Technology Sdn Bhd also contributed a 4kWp solar panel system worth RM18,540 to educate the community about electricity savings, environmental friendliness, renewable energy, green technology adoption and promoting a healthier environment.
Barnama
7 hours ago
- Business
- Barnama
Putra Heights Fire: SPNB To Rebuild, Repair 17 Houses From Next Week
KEPALA BATAS, May 31 (Bernama) -- Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) will rebuild and repair 17 houses affected by the April 1 gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights, Selangor, starting next week. SPNB chief executive officer Mohd Jamil Idris said this is an initial project involving 11 homes that were completely destroyed and six houses for renovation under the government allocation previously approved, namely a maximum of RM300,000 for rebuilding and RM150,000 for repairs. 'We have entered the area, and our contractors issued appointment letters to the affected residents this week. So, starting next week, they (the contractors) will start work at the site (of the affected houses). If we look at the data we have, so far, there are 17 houses… and this data may change,' he said. He told reporters this when met at the Urban Community Sustainability Programme (PKKB) and SPNB Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme in Taman Desa Kuala Muda here today, which was officiated by SPNB chairman Datuk Mohd Azmi Mohd Lila. The gas pipeline fire on April 1 caused flames to rise more than 30 metres high, with temperatures reaching over 1,000 degrees Celsius, causing 81 homes to be completely destroyed, with structural damage exceeding 40 per cent, 81 homes partially damaged, 57 homes affected but not burned, and 218 homes left unaffected. Meanwhile, Mohd Azmi said SPNB will build a total of 5,450 houses under the Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) project nationwide this year, with an allocation of RM504 million, to help B40 and low-income groups own homes. He said they have also implemented about half of the target as of May and aim to complete it all by the end of this year. 'We build these houses quite fast, in three months, mostly using conventional methods as well as IBS (Industrialised Building System), but there may be issues in terms of slight delays (for certain applications) because (there are) necessary processes,' he said. Mohd Azmi said the eligibility criteria for owning an RMR home include a household income not exceeding RM5,000, not currently owning a house and having their own land.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Business
- Indian Express
USAID has been dismantled. CSR funds should be used in research and innovation
Written by Akshay Saxena & Vandana Goyal On March 28, the US announced its decision to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Over the last decade, USAID has consistently invested more than Rs 1,000 crore every year in projects related to health, sanitation and energy in India. This move may be the first systematic decline in philanthropic capital available to Indian not-for-profit organisations from the United States. Notably, despite its significance, foreign funding makes up only 18 per cent of all philanthropic giving and is likely to be only 10 per cent of all philanthropic giving by 2030. India was the first country to mandate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through its Companies Act, 2013. Companies with a net profit of Rs 5 crore or more need to donate 2 per cent of their profits to social causes. India's CSR ecosystem contributes over Rs 30,000 crore to philanthropy today and is likely to contribute over Rs 50,000 crore by 2030, making it the single largest funder of not-for-profit organisations in India. And yet, the loss of USAID funding has felt like a seismic shift in the development sector. The key to this lies in what USAID has funded over the years, not the quantum of funding. Most not-for-profit organisations require three pools of capital: Programmatic funding (typically for direct implementation costs), administrative funding (for fundraising, offices and senior management), and funding for innovation and research. Innovation funding allows early-stage entrepreneurs to try new models, collect evidence, and publish research. Most CSR and UHNI (Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals) grants continue to be single-year grants that are heavily restrictive and linked to very measurable outcomes. Not many fund research, innovation and risk-taking. In addition, most large not-for-profits work closely with the government to pilot innovation. When these innovations succeed, there is often a need for large-scale, catalytic funding, which has also been traditionally hard to get from CSR and UHNIs. On the other side, the majority of USAID grants funded innovation: From early pilots to research studies, to the scale-up of technology-led initiatives in partnership with the government. It also funded massive system strengthening efforts focused on building capacity within government health systems, often in collaboration with US universities and medical schools. It is this funding that many not-for-profits find hard to replace. This is not dissimilar to India's venture capital industry in the 2010s. The early investors in India's unicorns were mostly foreign funds. As Indian entrepreneurs exited companies and fund managers returned capital, domestic capital has gradually replaced foreign investors. The same will need to happen with innovation funding in the impact sector. Our experience at Avanti Fellows (an education NGO that we co-lead) is testament to the fact that this is possible. Today, a majority of our innovation, research and systems change funding comes from CSR. This includes significant investments in open-source technology platforms, curriculum and state capacity building. We have benefited massively from the efforts of evangelists within large companies who have painstakingly educated the board, secured funding (often small) for innovation and shown the catalytic impact this funding can have on large government school systems. The majority of our CSR commitments are multi-year, giving us the ability to make long-term investments. We are also seeing increasing willingness for multiple partners to co-invest in large-scale programs, allowing more flexible funders to mitigate some of the start-up risk on new programs. The tide is definitely turning. This trend needs to accelerate. India already has the world's most progressive regulation on corporate giving and the world's most innovative social change organisations. We need to work together to take more risks so that corporate India can help play a leading role in solving our country's biggest problems. The writers are co-CEOS, Avanti Fellows, a not-for-profit organisation that provides equitable access to STEM education for students from lower-income communities in India
The Hindu
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Mercedes-Benz presents two multipurpose vehicles to Parvatipuram-Manyam district in Andhra Pradesh
Parvatipuram-Manyam district received two multi-purpose vehicles, specially designed by Mercedes Benz, thanks to the initiative of Niti Aayog, which accepted the proposal submitted by the District Collector A. Shyam Prasad. Speaking to The Hindu, the Collector said the vehicles would enable the District Administration to meet the various needs of tribal people living in remote areas of Palakonda, Kurupam, Gummalakshmipuram, Makkuva, Saluru, and other mandals. He said the multipurpose vehicles will be used as mobile Giri Bazaars and to promote government welfare schemes meant for tribals. He thanked both Niti Aayog and Mercedes-Benz for sanctioning two vehicles under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. According to him, the vehicles will have audio-video facilities to highlight the welfare schemes of both the Union and State Governments. The officials and staff can also travel in the vehicles to create awareness among the tribals about the schemes and their benefits. On normal days, they function like Giri Bazaars and enable tribals to buy rice, pulses and other essential commodities at affordable rates. The district administration observed that many middlemen and traders are fleecing the gullible people with imitative and inferior products, which are also sold at exorbitant rates. Currently, the district administration is using a few vehicles for the Giri Bazaars. The two vehicles provided by Mercedes-Benz would enable the officials to send essential commodities to faraway places as the vehicles can move easily on ghat roads.
