President Kalam presents prestigious CSR award to SAIL

Tribal welfare is another thrust area of SAIL's CSR activities. Bokaro Steel Plant of SAIL has adopted a number of children of the nearly extinct Birhor tribe of Thakurani. Bhilai Steel Plant is providing free education with free boarding and lodging to 76 SC/ST children. To preserve the environment in and around its plants/mines, SAIL has planted 13.5 million trees and is nurturing them. As part of the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol, several other projects have been taken up. Besides, the company regularly afforests areas that are denuded due to mining activities.

During the current financial year, SAIL has planned to spend nearly Rs 100 crore on CSR activities, which inter-alia include:

Developing 16 model steel villages in the states of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh;

Setting up separate schools for economically underprivileged children at Bhilai, Durgapur, Bokaro, Rourkela and Burnpur in order to provide free education, stationery items, uniforms and nutritious midday meals; and

Setting up a technical university at Chhattisgarh in association with the state government, with a contribution of Rs 50 crore.

A total of 33 companies had participated in the Businessworld-FICCI-SEDF Corporate Social Responsibility Awards – 2006 contest. Of these, only seven companies – SAIL, Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, NTPC, HSBC, Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Zensar Technologies and Tata Chemicals Ltd – were shortlisted for the top award through a unique three-tier rigorous selection process, including field visits, and all the applications were thoroughly scrutinised and assessed on various parameters of CSR. The jury consisted of Dr Abid Hussain, Justice Leila Seth and Mr Mark Runcers, who were assisted by Grant Thorton and the Business & Community Foundation.

Sourced From: SAIL