GMR Wins CSR Award for Exemplary Livelihood Initiatives

Dhenkanal (Odisha): GMR Varalakshmi Foundation (GMRVF), the CSR arm of the infrastructure major GMR Groupemerged as winner of The Best CSR Practices Award-2014 for undertaking exemplary livelihood activities among communities dwelling in the neighbourhood of the GMR Kamalanga Energy Limited’s (GKEL) 1400 MW power plant at Kamalanga in Odisha’s Dhenkanal District.

Mr. Jayant Kumar Mohanty, Program Leader, GMRVF, received the award from Mr. Rajani Kant Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Steel & Mines, Government of Odisha, at a glittering ceremony as part of the Conclave on “Integrating CSR into strategic managerial processes,” organized by Think Media Inc., at Bhubaneswar on 17 January 2014. The award to GMRVF acknowledges GKEL’s transformational CSR interventions that have impacted livelihoods and the quality of life of people in nine villages in Dhenkanal District over the last six years.

Congratulating the GMRVF team, Mr. R.V. Sheshan, President, GKEL, said that he was, “Confident that GMRVF is capable, equipped and committed to fulfill GKEL’s socio-economic commitments in an exemplary manner in Odisha.” Ms. Meena Raghunathan, Director-Community Services, GMRVF, said, “Winning this award has further increased our responsibility around our project site villages. As a socially responsible business organization, we will continue to introduce innovative and inclusive models of sustainable rural prosperity for bringing holistic development in our surrounding villages.”

On GKEL’s behalf, GMRVF has taken up a number of agriculture-based livelihood activities in villages in Mangalpur Panchayat that are yielding encouraging results.

GMRVF, for instance, has helped enhance incomes of about 250 farmers by bringing more than 100 acres of fallow land under groundnut, corn, mustard, and mushroom cultivation. Farmers of three villages have been motivated and supported to take up profitable maize cultivation. More than 400 families have been assisted to undertake vegetable cultivation in the area.

Besides agriculture, animal husbandry received a big boost from GMRVF. Nearly 400 families were introduced to and suitably assisted to take up rearing of goats, poultry, and ducks. Several families have been trained and provided fingerlings to carry on pisciculture (fish farming) in 80 individually-owned and community ponds in the area.

GKEL, which supports education, health, livelihood and community development initiatives in nine villages in its Kamalanga neighbourhood, has commissioned two of its four units of 350 MW each, last year. Power produced from GKEL is being supplied to GRIDCO Limited in Odisha. Besides Odisha, GKEL would supply power to Haryana, Bihar and other parts of the country.