NLCIL honours Padmashri P Chinna Pillai

Neyveli: Women in Public Sector (WIPS), Neyveli chapter, under the aegis of NLC India Limited (NLCIL) organised a special program on Micro Finance & Development of Rural Women, wherein, Padmashri P Chinna Pillai participated as guest of honour and spoke on the occasion at Neyveli, on November 27.

During the occasion, NLCIL's Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) Rakesh Kumar, Director (HR) R Vikraman,  Director (Power) Shaji John and CVO T Venkatasubramanian honoured Padmashri Chinna Pillai.

Vikraman in his felicitation address recalled that NLCIL has seen many renowned personalities as guests of the organisation, but having Padmashri Chinna Pillai as the guest of honour itself is a proud moment and great motivation for the Neyvelians. He lauded her efforts in making own banking system-Kalanjiam-a microcredit movement, which has empowered hundreds of women and their families. Pullucheri Village has become a model of self-sufficiency, he added. NLCIL's Director (Power) and CVO also felicitated on the occasion.

Presiding over the function, NLCIL's CMD stated that Padmashri P Chinna Pillai is an Iron lady with selfless courage and determination, which not only helped her but the entire deprived womanhood especially, rural women to successfully come out of their problems and break the bonds of oppression created by a vicious circle.

If rural women show case willpower they are powerful catalysts for sustainable development, as well as agents against poverty: Padmashri Chinna Pillai

Padmashri P Chinna Pillai, who hails from Pullucheri village, Madurai, while addressing, recollected her ordeal of how the villagers were exploited by the landlords by lending money at an unreasonably high rate of interest, thus making their lives miserable during the year 1990. All the poor villagers, including herself, were engaged as coolies in agricultural fields for six months and the remaining period they did masonry works for the remaining months to eke their living. At that time, she came in contact with 'DHAN Foundation' which changed their lives. DHAN Foundation was helping to get bank loans at a cheaper rate of interest. Initially there was a lot of hiccups and during day time, she used to interact with women co-workers and the night travel to other villages to explain the need for saving money and formed a Self-Help group called "Kalanjiyam", wherein an amount of Rs 50, 100 etc. were saved and deposited in bank through DHAN Foundation. In case of any necessity, the individual will approach the bank for micro-financing thus coming out of the shackles of the money lenders. As a start, 8 "Kalanjiyams" were formed and at present, after nearly 30 years, this "Kalanjiyam" is spread over 16 states throughout India.

"Kalanjiyam" has transformed the lives of many poor women. It is proud to express that many of them were able to educate their children, conduct marriages and meet hospital expenses for aged people. Pregnant women were given utmost importance and through "Kalanjiyam" at present, we are running "SUGAM" hospitals – three at Madurai and one at Salem. She recollected how she shunned an offer of a pucca concrete house by late Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi and former Prime Minister Vajpayee, stating her co-workers are living in a hut and simply she cannot have the luxury. Even today she lives in a small hut.

She lauded NLCIL for its CSR initiatives and said, she was very much impressed by the SNEHA, a school for differently-abled children and ANANDA ILLAM, a home for elderly people, run by NLCIL and expressed her desire to run a similar one in Madurai. Lastly, she requested the NLCIL to care for the elders, disabled and the poor people.

To partake in her relentless services for the betterment of the society, NLCIL Management has announced a grant of Rs 2 Lakh to the Development of Humane Action (DHAN) Foundation, a professional development organisation wherein, Padmashri Chinna Pillai is leading the Movement.

Earlier M Vijayalakshmi President, Secretary WIPS Neyveli chapter welcomed the gathering and  N Rama Lakshmi, General, Secretary WIPS Neyveli chapter rendered vote of thanks.

Disclaimer: This story is a press release and is being published without any editing by PSU Watch desk. Our editorial team has only changed the headline.