By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Leading steelmaker Jindal Steel & Power (JSP) has been honoured with FICCI CSR Special Commendation Award for its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the Country. Shri Arjun Munda, Hon’ble Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Government of India, presented the prestigious award to Shri Prashanta Kumar Hota, President & Head (Group CSR), JSP, during the FICCI CSR Summit and Awards held at New Delhi on December 12, 2022. FICCI CSR Chairperson Padma Bhushan Smt. Rajashree Birla was present on occasion.
JSP, under the leadership of its Chairman, Shri Naveen Jindal, was among the few organisations in India to take up multidimensional initiatives, supporting the community and government to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Through its CSR arm, JSP Foundation, led by Smt Shallu Jindal, the steelmaker started a series of on-the-ground services to ease the suffering of the poor and vulnerable immediately following the pandemic’s onset in India.
Congratulating the team, Smt. Shallu Jindal, Chairperson of JSP Foundation said, “COVID-19 pandemic affected the society, the economy and the health infrastructure of the entire nation. The poor and vulnerable were the worst affected. As a responsible corporate citizen, Jindal Steel & Power and JSP Foundation joined the Government and the community by building hospital facilities, providing liquid medical oxygen, feeding the hungry and protecting the livelihood of the vulnerable community during the lockdown to fight the pandemic”. She thanked the jury members and FICCI for this coveted award based upon a multi-level rigorous selection process.
Immediately after the announcement of the lockdown to fight COVID-19, JSP launched a special initiative, ‘Mission Zero Hunger’ in three states, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand, to feed truck drivers, stranded migrant labourers, and the poor. This initiative was later extended to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, delivering more than 2 million meals.
During the Second Pandemic Wave, the steelmaker supplied more than 5,000 tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) by road and Indian Railway’s Oxygen Express to 13 states. It also provided two cryogenic tankers to the Government of Odisha for LMO transportation.
For health care services during the Pandemic, JSP designated 700 Oxygen beds in its Fortis OP Jindal Hospital & Research Centre in Raigarh and Tamnar, Chhattisgarh, and specialised COVID Care Centre at Angul, supported by ICUs, ventilators, and other capabilities. Besides, the Foundation also distributed lakhs of facemasks and thousands of litres of sanitisers amongst the community and the Front line COVID-19 warriors. Multiple buyback arrangements by the Foundation also protected the livelihood of farmers and SHG Women.
