New Delhi: Northern Coalfields Limited's (NCL) Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) PK Sinha met with Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday, and handed over a cheque of Rs 10 crore to set up five oxygen plants in different medical colleges of the state under its corporate social responsibility (CSR). NCL's Director (Personnel) Bimlendu Kumar was also present during the meet held in Bhopal. This initiative has been conceived by Coal India Limited's (CIL) Chairman Pramod Agrawal and continuous monitoring and support from his side immensely helped in the finalisation of these projects well in time, said NCL. Along with this, the company has also given an assistance of Rs 1.75 crore to set up an oxygen generating plant at AIIMS, Bhopal for the treatment of patients, under its CSR initiatives, it added.
This will assist the state to strengthen the fight against COVID-19 in trying pandemic time. The amount Rs 10 crore has been given to the Department of Public Health and Family welfare of the MP government towards upgrading healthcare infrastructure in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, said NCL.
In the meet, NCL CMD Sinha apprised the CM about NCL and its operations in the state. He briefed about the CSR activities of the company in the Singrauli Region and the major projects being undertaken for the inclusive development of the region. The CMD also detailed the measures taken by NCL to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. He also urged the MP CM to start a Medical and Mining College in Singrauli.
The Chief Minister appreciated the contribution of NCL towards the energy security of the nation and NCL's efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic-induced testing times. He also assured his support to NCL.
Apart from its own endeavours to tame down COVID-19, NCL is also assisting the Singrauli district administration against COVID-19 for up-gradation of medical infra such as oxygen plants and necessary arrangements with Rs 7 crore. Previously, NCL had also contributed a sum of Rs 20 crore to the Madhya Pradesh government to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
NCL has also provided essential facilities to more than 1 lakh people living in the villages of the Singrauli region, such as sanitisation of public places, distribution of ration kits, masks, sanitizers, medical kits, and medical equipment, etc. Also, the strong health infrastructure in a record time for the treatment of COVID patients was developed to serve the employees and locals.
Being a responsible corporate, in the previous year, NCL has given Rs 1,485 crore as royalty and Rs 462 crore as a District Mineral Fund (DMF) to the state. While in the last seven years, NCL has spent about Rs 500 crore through its CSR initiatives in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The company has also carried out the development of major public infrastructure, improving connectivity through roads, water supply, skill development, health care, education, sports, promotion of art and culture. In the last FY, NCL spent about Rs 130 crore on its different CSR projects, giving new dimensions to sustainability including transform Singrauli.
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