Corporate Social Responsibilities
The CSR activities that are carried out by LUMPL in Nongtrai and Shella Villages focus on following thrust areas:
- Health Services
- Support to Education
- Infrastructure Improvement
- Income Generation Programmes – Development of Skill Sets, Trainings and Awareness Programmes.
- Social and Cultural Events
Activity planning (for development work) is mostly need based where the suggestions of the Durbars or the local communities are assessed in the Joint Committee for Community Development (JCCD) meetings in addition to the individual and group consultations within the local community.
The JCCD is constituted in both Nongtrai and Shella villages represented by members approved by the respective Durbars and having included the LUMPL representations. Depending upon the implementation mechanism agreed, the community development activities are carried out mostly through;
- The village durbars
- Kher (sub-village) or local committees
Summary of Community Development activities carried out:
Health Services
Provision of a mobile clinic manned by a registered medical practitioner, health assistants and necessary diagnostic devices provided to the community. Free consultation and medicines were provided by this mobile clinic van to the villages in and around the Shella and Nongtrai durbars. On an average, a population of over 7,500 and 1,200 were catered to by the facilities of this mobile van in Shella durbar and Nongtrai durbar respectively. The services of the mobile van were available to the community in the Shella durbar (four times a week) and Nongtrai durbar (twice a week).- Bi annual health camps in the Shella and Nongtrai durbar organized by the company. These health camps are attended by medical practitioners (for eye, general physician, dentist, pathologists etc) where free consultation, referral and follow up services are provided to the community.
- Special camps (Eye & Dental camps) and Awareness Camps to sensitize the community about health issues and preventive care. Consultation and free medical services are also provided with respect to specific diseases and problems along with follow up to the referral centres. The costs incurred in follow up and necessary medical care is borne by the company.
Support for Education
- Scholarships are provided to the selected students as agreed by JCCDs in three schools (two in Shella and one in Nongtrai) for those students who were either economically weak or fared well in their examinations.
- Distribution of school bags, umbrellas and text books to the students to encourage children to continue their studies.
- Enhancement of teachers’ salaries. The Company provides additional salaries to the Science, Mathematics and Hindi teachers in the selected schools in the two durbars.
Infrastructural Improvements
A majority of the community development activities have been undertaken by the Company is focused around improvement of local infrastructure and amenities in the villages/hamlets of the two durbars (Shella & Nongtrai).The community demands and expectations in the project area of influence with respect to the benefits are mostly linked to infrastructural investments.
Income Generation
- LUMPL has taken steps to initiate livelihood support programme to build community capacities/skills and explore opportunities for economically productive employment especially for the women and youth groups in the community. Weaving and sericulture (in partnerships with the sericulture department) has been planned for the women and the adolescent girls of the community. The company carried out awareness programmes and has shortlisted a group of target beneficiaries. Another significant initiative in income support provided was the services of the horticultural specialist to address the issue of pest which has significantly impacted the betel nut production in the area. The initiative is being followed up by the Company.
- Livestock management and exposure visits (of 40 people) were also carried out by the company to sensitize the community about the potential livelihood opportunities. However, there was a lukewarm response to these initiatives by the community. Factors like existing dependence of the community on livestock (which is currently not a significant contributor to the family income) and the willingness to take up animal husbandry were reasons attributed to the poor response to these initiatives.
Social and Cultural Events
- Environment Day, Earth Day, Anti drug day etc (common programme for both villages to try develop unity and integrity between children of the two villages)