UP CM Yogi Adityanath wants private companies to spend almost hundreds of crores from their CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility budgets for a 100-metre tall statue of Lord Ram by the river Saryu. The cost of the Ram statue is approximately Rs. 330 crore.

A booklet by UP's tourism department titled ‘Opportunities of investment under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Tourism Sector,’ showcased similar plans for 86 tourism projects in cities like Ayodhya, Varanasi and Gorakhpur. The plan, however, has sparked a political row.