The National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) limited was conferred with the prestigious ET Now CSR leadership Award-2018 in the categories of women empowerment and community development at a function in Mumbai recently.
The award recognises the company’s contribution in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. The community development category showcased the various development initiatives of BIOM Bacheli under the aegis of CSR. The development initiatives are centred on the focus areas of health and hygiene, education, infrastructure development, sustainable development through livelihood generation and capacity-building, drinking water and so on. The Women Empowerment category highlighted the unique initiative of NMDC Balika Siksha Yojana which aims at empowering the disadvantaged and marginalised tribal girls of Bastar district. Till now 258 tribal girls are sponsored by the Corporation for B.Sc (Nursing) and GNM Courses at Apollo institutions, Hyderabad.
This award was handed over to N. Baijendra Kumar, IAS, CMD by Sandeep Tula, Director (Personnel) and AK Shukla, Executive Director, BIOM, Bacheli Complex. Mr Kumar said that the company was spending most of its CSR budget in Chhattisgarh as all its major units were in that State. “Through Balika Shiksha Sahyog Yojna, we are trying to strengthen para medical services and women empowerment,” he said. The tribal girls have been contributing significantly to ameliorate the healthcare facilities in the remote parts of the state. After completion of their courses they are now gainfully employed in various district hospitals, PHCs, CHCs, private hospitals. The girls are now capable of contributing to their domestic economy as well and this in turn is helping in alleviating their living standards.