100th Annual Report 2006-2007 - Tata Steel

Review of
Corporate Sustainability Initiatives
Tata Steel’s journey over the past hundred years is a fascinating
saga of pioneering initiatives in steel making, responsible
industrialisation with minimal impact on environment and the
socio-economic empowerment of the community. In pursuit
of its Vision of improving the quality of life of its employees and
of the community it operates in, including its ore mines and
collieries, Tata Steel carried out numerous activities in the area
of social development. The year under review was significant
due to the announcement of several capacity expansion plans
in greenfield sites. The company showed commitment to
address the sentiments and concerns of the people living in
the vicinity of such sites and the families that may get displaced
by the projects through its Tata Parivar programme.
Rural development & income generation
In an effort to encourage long-term benefits and sustainable
livelihoods through agriculture, the company has been taking steps
to strengthen agricultural development in the region. This year,
1,504 acres of wasteland were brought under single cultivation,
while 412 acres of land under single cropping were brought
under two crop rotations. An additional income of Rs. 103.55 lakhs
was generated, benefitting 1,748 farmers. Apart from agricultural
improvements, 128 beneficiaries have been supported to take
up their own livestock enterprises including poultry, piggery,
pisiculture as well as floriculture to make them self-reliant.
To promote economic development among the rural poor,
particularly women, Tata Steel encouraged the development
of community self-help groups. In the reporting year, 218 new
groups were formed while 450 existing groups were sustained.
Rs. 75 lakh savings were generated through bank linkages of the
self-help groups. In addition, self-help groups received training
in making jute and stone products and a candle and paper
artifacts unit was established at the Tribal Cultural Centre.
Population management
Tata Steel, in the period under review, focused on popularising
its numerous reproductive health programmes. Its adolescent
reproductive health project covered over 50,000 people during
the year providing counselling on adolescent sexual health.
About 10,000 couples adopted various spacing and permanent
methods of family planning in this period. The company
organised camps at block levels which enabled about 7500
women to undertake sterilisation (tubectomy). It also trained
doctors to provide non-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) services.
Education
Under the Jyoti Fellowship, Rs. 25 lakhs were distributed among
430 tribal students, including two students who qualified for
the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Similarly, under the
Moodie Endowment programme, 59 science students were
awarded scholarships worth Rs. 12 lakhs, this year. In addition
to this, Project Sahyog covered 2,500 children through basic
education. It conducted Bal Vikas classes for 1,300 children who
were given primary education. Under the Shaksar Samaj project,
8,790 people were made functionally literate. Apart from this,
vocational training was provided for aspiring community
health providers and pathology technicians and for advance
software management, office management, electrical welding,
computer hardware, refrigerator repairing, etc.
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