By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: JSPL Foundation, the CSR arm of leading steelmaker Jindal Steel & Power Ltd., has been honoured with the coveted Mahatma Award for its multidimensional social interventions to support the community during the COVID-19 Pandemic in India. Former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Dr Kiran Bedi, IPS, presented the award to JSPL’s President and Group CSR Head Mr Prashant Kumar Hota on October 01 2021, in an award ceremony held at New Delhi.
Speaking on the occasion JSPL Foundation’s Chairperson Smt. Shallu Jindal said, “Hearty Congratulation to JSPL Foundation for winning the ‘ Mahatma Award 2021 India ‘ for three consecutive years. I am thankful to the esteemed Jury for recognising JSPL Foundation’s multidimensional initiative to mitigate COVID19 pandemic induced Human miseries.
As a socially responsible organisation, JSPL tried to stand with the community in the time of their need. COVID-19 has been one of the biggest challenges for humanity. From providing food to hungry to facilitating medical care for the people JSPL and JSPL Foundation initiated various steps to support the community in the Nation’s fight against the pandemic.
JSPL supplied about 5000 tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) to various hospitals in more than 13 Indian States to save human lives. JSPL Foundation reached more than 10 lakh people in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, New Delhi and other parts of India during the first and second wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Foundation provided about 10 lakh meals, including cooked food and dry rations, to the vulnerable.
The Company also dedicated 302 beds with dedicated medical teams in its Fortis OP Jindal Hospital & Research Centre in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh and Tamnar to treat COVID-19 patients. In Odisha, the Company built a COVID Care Centre at Angul in June 2021 with 270 oxygen supported beds, including 10 Non-invasive ventilation beds and five ICU beds with ventilators.
It also distributed more face cover masks, sanitisers, and hand wash among the community members. To sensitise the community JSPL Foundation also organised a massive awareness drive on prevention and treatment of COVID-19, vaccination, COVID appropriate behaviour etc.
