SJVN, a leader at generating power in a sustainable manner, has built a legacy of being a company with a humane touch in its approach towards corporate social responsibility as it actively contributes towards creating a more equitable, healthier and happier society. Investing in human talent, arming the youth with the power of knowledge, enhancing skills sets and raising aspirations to become leaders, innovators and masters in a field of one’s choice is how the Mini Ratna public sector company has chosen to repay a public trust that it has earned.
Where in 25 years of the company’s existence, SJVN had spent Rs 117 crores as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) mainly on education, healthcare, skill development, community amenities, disaster assistance and infrastructure; it has set up the SJVN Foundation, a registered not for profit trust, to spend upwards of Rs 100 crore over the next five years on CSR. The company’s policy authorizes the management to earmark 2% of net profit of the preceding year for listed CSR activities.
“Corporate Social Responsibility is not new to SJVN for we take our responsibility about the enterprise initiatives undertaken and their impacts on society seriously,” is how NL Sharma, Director Personnel SJVN and chairman of SJVN Foundation, considers the CSR role the company is involved in. “CSR – it is not a cost centre of philanthropy. The whole effort reflects the contribution a business makes towards enrichment of quality of life to the society in the neighbourhood of a corporate entity which has enabled it to do business in its midst” says Sharma.
Not oblivious to the need of the hour for a safer, cleaner and greener nation – on a call made on Independence Day by Prime Minister Narender Modi from the ramparts of Red Fort about the need for improving sanitation and providing for toilets in country’s schools, SJVN at the very outset has adopted 1574 government schools; 818 in Himachal, 410 in Bihar, 196 in Uttarakhand and 150 in Arunachal that in a phased manner would be equipped with hygienic toilets soon.
For its Silver Jubilee year celebrated in 2013, a metric cum scholarship scheme for meritorious Class 12 students was launched enabling them to pursue higher courses in any stream. The about 150 students selected through a transparent procedure are being a monthly Rs 2000/- scholarship under the scheme.
Supporting the education program, SJVN has already spent crores in construction of 15 government school building and laying of 22 playgrounds. To encourage merit, toppers of Class 5, Class 8, Class 10 and Class 12 in project area schools are annually given cash award that boosts competitiveness.
Satluj Sanjeevani Sewa, a hospital on wheels service funded by SJVN, has had a tremendous impact if providing more than basic healthcare at the village levels in areas where the company’s hydropower plants are located. Started in the year 2000, response to the mobile health van program has been a self rewarding one as thousands of patients, especially women, have been served and treated under this scheme. Reliability on the hospital on wheels service has in fact become an integral part of the rural community.
To empower young men and women with employable skills, the company for many years has been sponsoring them for various programs at various ITIs in the vocations of electrician, welder, motor machinists, computers, masonry, plumber, cutting and sewing and others. For an on the job experience, even a paid for apprenticeship attached program is offered to some students who acquire the required skills.
For its healthy Corporate Social Responsibility track record SJVN has been conferred several prestigious awards which include CIDC Vishwakarma Award, Africa CSR Award, IPE-CSR Award, Most Caring Company Award and PSU Excellence Award.
