New Delhi (thestates.news)| For a company whose operations touch some of the most resource-poor and tribal-dominated districts of India, the idea of giving back to the community is not new to Coal India Limited (CIL). Long before the Companies Act, 2013 made Corporate Social Responsibility a legal obligation for corporate India, CIL and its subsidiaries were already engaged in welfare activities in and around their mining areas under the Community Development (CD) Policy, 2005.
Under this earlier CD regime, subsidiaries supported villages within an 8 km radius of mining operations through drinking water facilities, health camps, and small infrastructure works — meaningful interventions that fostered harmony with peripheral communities. In the three years leading up to the Act (FY 2011-12 to 2013-14), CIL’s consolidated CD spend varied from Rs. 82 cr. (FY 2011-12) to Rs. 409 cr. (FY 2013-14). The work being done was genuine and appreciated on the ground; what it lacked was a consistent, institutionalised framework to sustain and scale it year on year.(s-pib)
