Spreading light... That literally
was HSCL’s mission. In poor,
unlit village in West Bengal,
HSCL distributed solar
IMAGINATION AND
SOCIAL ACTION
HSCL launched its CSR initiative in 2007
by distributing solar lanterns and
reaching out to children.
Hindustan Steelworks Construction
Ltd (HSCL) embarked on social
development activities in a concerted
way in 2007. But within the
short time since the company put in place its
plans for its CSR initiative, HSCL decided to
scale up the programme dramatically. From a
budget of Rs. 1.5 lakh in 2007-2008, its allocation
for social development activities
jumped more than 13 times to Rs. 20 lakh in
fiscal 2008-09.
The company signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of
Steel for its corporate social responsibility initiative
inspite of the fact that HSCL is yet to
become a profit making company. As a conscientious
corporate citizen, HSCL is of the
opinion that all the companies and, more
so, public enterprises, should contribute
to the cause of social development irrespective
of financial results. Thus, it
decided to engage and support initiatives that
would especially benefit the marginalised
sections of society.
HSCL flagged off its CSR initiative in 2007-08
with two imaginative projects — distributingsolar
lanterns and setting up a geography
laboratory at a school.
Imagination at work: In the
service of education
The company spent Rs. 55,000 for a geography
laboratory at Sukantanagar
Vidyaniketan Higher Secondary School, a
government-aided school at Salt Lake in
north-eastern Kolkata. The fully furnished
laboratory, inaugurated on March 31, 2008,
has been provided with the most modern
equipment. Over 900 students have benefited
from the new laboratory.
Making learning geography a fun
One of the students of Sukantanagar
Vidyaniketan Higher Secondary School
who had little more than theoretical knowledge
— before HSCL stepped in — is Sudipta
Saha.
“I will be appearing for the Higher Secondary
Examination next year. But I never had the
opportunity to have any practical classes in
geography since there was no such laboratory
in our school earlier,” says Saha, a student
of Class XII. “After HSCL donated the fully
furnished geography laboratory to our
school, I have been making the most use of
the lab and hope to score well in the subject,"
she adds.
“HSCL has provided the geography laboratory
with all the necessary apparatus and also
furnished the entire lab. Geography is a subject
oriented to practical application. It is
compulsory till Class X and many students
could not opt for the subject at the Plus-Two
level for want of a lab,” says Principal
Sibendu Dey.
The company took up the project because, as
General Manager M. K. Ray says, “The school
was in dire need of the lab”. Moreover,
“HSCL aims to benefit those from the most
deprived sections of society and education
is the best way to do so, especially when it
can be combined with practical knowledge.”
Ray says the project was planned and was
executed in little over a month. The lab was
inaugurated by HSCL Chairman Sri
Parthasarathy K.
However, the company’s support to educational
initiatives does not end there. HSCL
has plans for developing infrastructure for
education in West Bengal, Tripura,
Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Jharkhand in 2008-
09. There are also plans to distribute books,
pens, pencils and school bags among needy
students and also to provide one-year and
two-year scholarships to meritorious students.
Lighting up Amragori village
The company has partnered with Amragori
Juba Sangha (the Amragori Youth
Organisation), a local community based
organisation (CBO) in Amragori village, 60
km outside Kolkata, in Howrah district, to
distribute 56 solar lanterns (at a cost of Rs.
95,000). The lanterns were distributed
among the poorest members of the local
community.
The members of the CBO, who had made a
representation to HSCL that the villagers
were literally “in the dark” because of
endemic power shortages, said that most of
the villagers could not afford electricity or
kerosene oil to light up bulbs or lamps. On
HSCL’s urging, Juba Sangha surveyed the village
and identified the number of people
who needed lighting most. The company
then arranged to provide the solar lanterns.
In villages, which rarely enjoy lit pathways
and roads, walking through the dark is difficult and often unsafe. Villagers always carry
torches, a necessity that is fast becoming a
luxury as the cost of batteries rise. The solarpowered
lanterns (and other non-conventional
light sources, such as LED lamps) have
proved to be a boon. The lanterns were distributed
on March 31, 2008.
“Before we got these solar lanterns, we were
miserable. We had to hurriedly finish all our
work by daylight as we could barely afford
electricity or kerosene oil lamps. But now 56
families of the village are relieved,” said
Laxmikanta Boodhak of Amragori, who is
one of the beneficiaries.
Moreover, these solar lanterns are pollutionfree.
On one hand, these help conserve energy
and, on the other, the recurring or maintenance
cost is nil. These lamps are placed in
the sun during the day and solar energy
absorbed in the process is used at night.
Future plans
The company’s plan for Amragori does not
end with the solar lanterns. It has budgeted
for a healthcare centre at Amragori and
health camps focusing on eye and dental
care. In addition, it is considering supporting
primary education initiatives in the village.
The company also plans to distribute more
solar lanterns among the villagers and launch
infrastructure projects, particularly supplying
potable water.
More importantly, HSCL plans to replicate
these initiatives in some of the more remote
villages of West Bengal.
Education is key. Today, HSCL
plans to help build educational
infrastructure in Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Tripura, Orissa
and West Bengal...
CSR activities during 2008-09
Construction of building for housing ‘Primary Health Care Centre (Outdoor)’ at Amoragori
The Company donated a single storied building for housing the ‘Primary Health Care Centre (Outdoor)’ under its CSR programme for 2008-09 at Amoragoria a remote village in Howrah District, about 60km away from Kolkata, in association with Amoragori Juba Sangha, a Non-Government Body engaged in different kinds of social activities in that village like free Health Care, Primary Education for poor and destitute children etc. This will benefit the economically and socially underprivileged villagers of the area.
The then CMD, Sri Parthasarathy K. inaugurated the building on 29.4.2009 and inspected the physiotherapy section of the clinic. A solemn function was organized by the members of Amoragori Juba Sangha on the occasion. CMD, in his speech, emphasized on the need of primary health care and imparting basic knowledge to inculcate healthy habits and grow consciousness among the people of the village to prevent spread of disease through contamination. He also stressed on proper utilization and maintenance of the facility created by the Company for the underprivileged inhabitants of the area. Sri V.K.Singh, Head (P&A) and Sri M.K.Ray, GM, CMD’s Sectt. also spoke on the occasion.
Setting up of Science Laboratory (Physics & Chemistry) in Sukantanagar Vidyaniketan (Higher Secondary), a Govt. aided school, at Sukantanagar, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700098.
Sri Parthasarathy K. the then Chairman – cum - Managing Director inaugurated the Science Laboratory, sponsored by Hindustan Steelworks Construction Ltd. under Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, at Sukantanagar Vidyaniketan (Higher Secondary), Kolkata, a Govt. aided school, on 18.2.2009. This will enable the institution to start its Science stream at Higher Secondary level from the coming academic year. A well presented cultural function, participated by the students and teachers of the school, was organized on the occasion. CMD in his speech emphasized on the importance of study of scientific subjects for industrial development of the nation. He expressed his happiness for the facility created by HSCL for development of infrastructure for study of science in the Higher Secondary level for the students mostly belonging to the economically lower crust of the society. The Head Master of the Institution thanked the Chairman and Director (Finance) of the Company for the generous help extended towards fulfilling the longstanding requirement of the School.
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