Popularly known as the ‘City of Joy’, Kolkata is rich in culture and heritage but fares poorly in CSR. Trends show that mostly companies that operate in and around the city tend to invest their Corporate Social Responsibility corpus in any projects. We present the ones making the most impact with their CSR programmes in Kolkata.
CSR of GRSE for Healthcare
Keeping up with its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) donated vital medical equipment to Ramakrishna Sarada Mission’s Matri Bhavan Hospital in Kolkata in November last year. GRSE supplied the high-end medical equipment to Ramkrishna Sarada Mission & Premananda Memorial Hospital Kolkata for Leprosy patients.
GRSE actively engages in social and sustainable development projects in Garden Reach and Kolkata. Their initiatives include generating local employment, providing vocational training, organizing health check-up and blood donation camps, funding education for marginalized children, and improving infrastructure in public schools.
GRSE conducted monthly health check-up camps benefiting underprivileged individuals and focused on the holistic development of children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in Jharkhand and West Bengal through Gadadhar Abhyudaya Prakalpa (GAP) of Ramakrishna Mission. The Shipyard adopted three classes at the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy and provided skill development training to trainees at Ma Sarada Swanirvar Kendra – Baghbazar. Additionally, has also been taking responsibility for regular toilet cleaning local government schools.
Nature Study Park, Kolkata
CSR of PS Group for Nature Conservation
Kolkata based real estate conglomerate, PS Group, announced in November 2023 that it will rejuvenate the Nature Study Park of Kolkata Municipal Corporation in Loudon Street. Located in the heart of the city, the park is known for its scenic beauty and natural pond.
The project involves a multifaceted approach under which park components will be reorganizing, more attractions will be created for visitors, and educational elements centred on ‘Nature Study’ will be incorporated. The park will feature an outdoor public library, an outdoor fitness zone, a children’s play area, floor games, viewing decks, reflexology courts, and trellis walkways. Over 18,500 new plants and 16 3.3 KMP hybrid SPV power plants were strategically integrated to enhance the park’s lush greenery and illumination after sunset.
Commenting on the collaboration with Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Mr. Debashish Kumar, MMIC Park and Square, Kolkata Municipal Corporation said, “It has been a part of our vision to rejuvenate the city’s community spaces such that it enhances the quality of life for the city dwellers. Spaces where common man can connect with nature, take leisurely walks and indulge in conversations. In my opinion, the value additions brought about by PS are beneficial for the community and environment at large striving to build a vibrant and inclusive urban environment.”
CSR of mPokket for cancer patients
Digital lender company mPokket and Roti On Wheels is serving nutritious food such as freshly made Roti and Sabji, with fresh fruit, to help those in need, near Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata every Thursday and Friday. The teams have been providing approximately 300-400 meals per day, totaling 3000+ meals throughout the month.
This initiative aims to address the nutritional needs of individuals and their families, who often face immense financial and emotional challenges during their arduous medical battles. By providing solace and sustenance, the teams hope to alleviate some of the burdens faced by the patients and their families while battling with cancer.
A commendable initiative begun by Santosh Lalita Jain Foundation, Roti On Wheels operates mobile vehicles that traverse the slum areas of Greater Kolkata, providing hot and hygienic meals free of charge to approximately 2,000 people daily.
CSR of MSTC Limited for children’s healthcare
MSTC Limited, a central public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Steel, Government of India donated state-of-the-art medical equipment at the Institute of Child Health Hospital and Blood Bank (ICH) in Kolkata in February last year.
The equipments were donated as part of MSTC’s Corporate social responsibility initiative for upgrading medical infrastructure at the hospital. Institute of Child Health is a charitable trust run hospital for children. The not for profit hospital was started by Dr K.C. Chaudhuri, the doyen of Indian pediatrics, in Kolkata in 1956 and inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru, former Prime Minister of India.
CSR of RBL Bank for girl students
On the occasion of International Women’s Day in March last year, RBL Bank donated 100 bicycles and school kits to underprivileged girl students in Kolkata. This donation is part of the bank’s CSR initiative UMEED 1000.
The beneficiaries were identified by the Bank with support from the West Bengal Commission for Women and District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and North 24 Parganas districts.
Apart from Kolkata, bicycles and school-kits have also been donated to less privileged girl students in cities like Hyderabad, Raipur, Chennai, Kolhapur, Guwahati, Siliguri and in the state of Goa.
UMEED 1000 Cyclothon supported by RBL Bank has been a movement of people united by a common purpose – to make a difference in the lives of marginalized communities through positive action. Since its inception in 2014, the UMEED 1000 Cyclothon has raised funds for cancer care and treatment for children. The programme has also focused on raising funds for girl child education.
CSR of PNB Housing Finance for construction labourers
PNB Housing Finance through its CSR arm Pehel Foundation launched a new social wellbeing initiative ‘Mobile Medical Units’ implemented by the Wockhardt Foundation last year. The medical vans provide free-of-cost primary healthcare services to construction labourers and their families at construction sites and urban slums in Kolkata.
Each Mobile Medical Unit is fully equipped with necessary medical equipment and staffed with a dedicated team of registered doctor, trained pharmacist and licensed van driver to ensure top-notch healthcare to the beneficiaries. Patients with illnesses like common cold, skin infection, malaria, jaundice, hypertension, diabetes, and other communicable diseases will be treated on the van and provided with free medicines.
Patients needing specialized treatment like, cataract, heart ailments, gynaecological issues, etc. will be provided with referrals to hospitals aiding them in advance detection and treatment. Additionally, they will also be sensitized and educated on the various important aspects of health, hygiene and sanitation.
Apart from Kolkata, the vans were also launched in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.
CSR of Mjunction for the visually impaired
Kolkata-based B2B e-commerce company Mjunction services limited launched the second phase of its ‘Project Jyoti’ CSR initiative for visually challenged students in West Bengal in July, 2022. This is a one of its kind collaborative initiative by mjunction with Paschim Banga Samagra Shiksha Mission, enabling digital education to the visually defied students from across Bengal.
Under this initiative, training sessions are held for visually impaired students empowering them in e-literacy. The main goal of Project Jyoti is to provide solutions and simplify the education platform for these students. The aim is to provide education through digital means through a process, where a visually challenged student can not only learn the subject well, but also get used to technology.
This project aims to solve the learning difficulty faced by visually challenged students while using Braille technique, which is time consuming and monotonous. The program is designed to let the students use a ‘talk-back’ technology developed by the company using android devices. Each student is given a phone with pre-installed apps which helps them to read the textbooks.
Project Jyoti is a CSR initiative by Mjunction services limited to support visually challenged students. In 2018, the initiative was first launched in Chhattisgarh as a pilot project and soon after the successful implication it launched in West Bengal. The project helps in creating accessible books for visually impaired students.
CSR of CESC
CESC Limited is a flagship company of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. It is engaged in electricity distribution with embedded generation facility, across 567 sq km of its licensed areas in West Bengal. Over the years, CESC has taken up several CSR projects around Kolkata for the benefit of local communities. Many of these projects are ongoing in nature.
In 2019-20, CESC received the coveted Golden Peacock Award 2019 in recognition of its CSR initiatives. Apart from this, the company received the ICC Social Impact Award 2020 for ‘Suswasthya Project, Grow Care India CSR Award 2019 for ‘Roshni Project, and Apex India CSR Excellence Award 2019 for Urja Chetna Project.
RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group CSR Trust has taken up a CSR project to set up a school in the Alipore area of Kolkata and has purchased a 1.2 acre land for this purpose. The company continued its partnership with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for maintaining the green verges in certain areas of Kolkata. In 2019-20, it developed a park for children suffering from thalassemia and other critical diseases at the Medical College & Hospital. Another green initiative was the installation of pet bottle shredders at six Metro stations.
Nirmal Kolkata is a sanitation Project in Chetla slum area in Kolkata, implemented in partnership with BTL EPC Limited. Under the project, 24 bio toilets were installed to prevent open defecation. The project has benefited 247 households comprising 878 beneficiaries.
Saksham is a skill development and employment generation programme for youth in Tiljala-Topsia area of the city. Two centres running under the project are providing training on basic computing with advance Microsoft Excel, tailoring, beauty therapy, air conditioner repairing, and driving. Annually 300 youths are trained at these centres. A skill development programme on basic computing with advance Excel and retail sales management has also begun.
Hamari Awaaz is a comprehensive community on child protection in urban slums, which is being implemented in the Tiljala area in partnership with CINI. The CSR project aims at creating child-friendly communities in urban slums by mobilising, sensitising and empowering communities to fight against child labour and other forms of child abuse. The project has reached out to 9,580 households.
CSR of Siddha Group
Housing company Siddha Group has been working with the police and local officials in Kolkata on a host of CSR initiatives.
Every year, Siddha Group organizes 10 to 12 eye camps in and around Kolkata, where they reach out to nearly 3,000 people. All these camps are held in association with Sankara Nethralaya, Mission for Vision and the local administration. To improve the quality of life of the labourers working in the area of operations, the company organizes preliminary health check-up camps where workers get a consultation and data analytics reports.
Life Skill Training Programme (LSTP) is a multi-component tool addressing social, psychological, cognitive, and attitudinal factors associated with daily use of various substances. Since 2015, Siddha Group has initiated a series of LSTP designed especially for the labourers working in ongoing projects. The key objective of such a programme is to bring behaviour change communication (BCC) among them to enhance personal competence, and resistance to substance use.
26th June is marked as ‘International Day against Illicit Trafficking & Drug Abuse’. To fight against the menace of drugs, Siddha teamed up with Kolkata police to raise awareness and to educate the masses and youth about substance abuse. Being one of the core committee members of the narcotics cell, every year Siddha participates in a month long activity schedule. Siddha organized inter school competitions on debate, draw, essay writing, poster and rally where school students, police officials, members of the Siddha family and celebrities joined together to sensitize people.
The Siddha Group awards merit scholarships for girls and boys to pursue higher education every year. The company also provides free study materials to students. It has adopted four schools Shri Gandhi Vidyalaya, Mukti Foundation, Chhatrachaya, and I care for Kids to provide quality education.
The Siddha CSR team teamed up with six municipalities of Kolkata – Barahnagar, Kamarhati, Panihati, Khardah, Titagarh, Brrackpore – and the Cossipore Prudential Youth welfare Association (CPYWA) for a road tree plantation drive. The team planted 1,250 trees on both sides of B T Road – from Tala to Barrackpore and 200 trees at Alipore Road, Kolkata.
For CSR initiatives in and around Kolkata, write to us at editor@thecsrjournal.in
