Coal India’s (CIL) efforts in its Bal Sewa Yojana, the treatment of underprivileged Thalassemia patients aged below 12 through Bone Marrow Transplant, on Wednesday received appreciation from Shri Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare. In a virtual programme, felicitating CIL and its CSR team he lauded CIL’s endeavour in providing such facility to below poverty line patients suffering from hematological disorders. Children whose parents’ annual income is below Rs.5 Lakhs are eligible under the scheme.
Earlier, recommended by the MoH&FW, CIL was the first CPSE to have launched such a programme in April 2017 at a time when there was no Central scheme to treat thalassemia patients. CIL took up the role as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) measure with an outlay of Rs.20 Crores, extending Rs.10 Lakhs per patient at the maximum. 136 patients were benefited under the scheme so far in its first phase.
With the operational guidelines drawn by MoH&FW, CIL has identified Six treatment centres across India for conducting Bone Marrow Transplant for Thalassemia patients.
On the occasion, the Hon’ble Union Minister also launched CIL’s second phase of the programme expressing his satisfaction over the initiative. It includes treatment of Aplastic Anaemia along with Thalassemia patients expected to benefit more than 200 patients with an additional grant of Rs.20 Crores in 2020, Two more hospitals have been added to the existing Six for the treatment.
Hon’ble Minister also appreciated efforts of CIL and its coal companies during covid pandemic in providing succour through food and water to migrant labour travelling in trains and setting up over 1500 beds for isolation for dedicated covid health care.
Aside from being the country’s major producer of coal, CIL’s CSR spend is also among the top in the country as is reflected in the numbers. The total CSR spend by CIL and its eight subsidiary companies during the last five years, ending 2019-20 was over Rs. 3,000 Crores.
CIL and its subsidiaries have spent around Rs.588 crores on CSR during FY’20 encompassing education, rural development, healthcare, women empowerment, skill development, sports among others.
As per the amendment in the Companies Act 2013 and Department of Public Enterprises guidelines the CSR budget of CIL and its subsidiaries is based on 2% of average net profit (profit before tax less dividend) of the company for three immediate preceding financial years. Whereas CSR policy of CIL stipulates Rs. 2 per tonne of coal produced in the previous year. But, CIL allocates its CSR Budget based on whatever amount is higher of the two.
