LG Electronics has hiked its budget for community development activities from Rs 2.5 crore to Rs three crore. Of this, Rs 1.5 crore will be allocated to LG�s 38 branch offices for use in local activities. The remaining Rs 1.5 crore will be spent by the head office in the Greater Noida area. As part of its initiatives in corporate social responsibility, LGE has also launched a new initiative with New-Delhi based NGO Prayas, that works for the upliftment of underpriveleged children. Under �LG Prayas�, LG will contribute a sum of Rs 25 lakh to sponsor Prayas� social activities. Commenting on the tie-up, Dr YV Verma, vice-president (HR and management support) LG, said, �While this sum is for the first year alone, we will review and renew the amount every year.�
Amod Kanth, Founder general secretary, Prayas, said, �The funds will be put to use for the development and renovation of destitute childrens� homes, towards organising welfare and education camps for kids and similar activities.�
In keeping with its plan of supporting organisations committed to social causes, LG will also be tying up with Helpage India, an NGO that looks after the aged. It already has a tie-up with another NGO Jan Shikhan Sansthan for generating self-employment opportunities for unemployed in the form of tailoring, knittting etc.
Its community development initiatives include a focussed plan for providing health services to underpriveleged children, animal healthcare and enhancing professional skills of unemployed youth. It has also adopted 24 villages in the vicinity of its factory in Noida.
Prayas, which began as an emergency relief and rehabilitation initiative for destitute children in Delhi in 1988, has expanded its area of operation to include institutional care, alternative education and vocational training to neglected street and working children. It caters to the needs of 50,000 slum kids in Delhi, Gujarat and Bihar, through 65 centres under 13 projects and three shelter homes.
Dec 10, 2003
URL: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=48125