CEMENTING

RELATIONSHIPS
A
well-known name in the cement industry, JK Lakshmi
Cement, (JKLC) has long been committed to community
engagement via the adoption of an effective corporate
social responsibility (CSR) approach and partnerships through
myriad interventions in the peripheral areas of its establishments.
A case in point is Sirohi District in the hinterland of Rajasthan.
This is where JKLC is involved in uplifting the quality of people’s
lives through integrated family welfare projects; health initiatives;
the adoption of Aanganwadi centres and much more. “Our
founders believed in sustainable development and we have been
committed to enhancing the quality of life and social well-being
of communities where we work,” says Vinita Singhania, Vice-
Chairman and Managing Director, JK Lakshmi Cement.
 The aim of JKLC to provide basic
education to illiterate women in the
region has been very successful. The
women are taught how to write their
own, their husband’s/father’s names,
the name of their village; understand
Hindi alphabets; addition and
subtraction of three digits; read the
headlines of newspapers and other
basic information

94 JK LAKSHMI CEMENT
 Community health centre:
Unbreakable Bonds
Naya Savera, an integrated
family welfare programme,
increases the awareness of
T he road to Sirohi winds its way through the rocky passages of the Aravalli hills, across
a landscape of thorny shrubs and trees. In stark contrast to these isolated environs,
the JKLC factory is a veritable oasis of activity, standing testimony to advancements in
the community technology, development and modernity. Speaking about the challenges of starting a
factory in this difficult terrain, PL Mehta, Senior Vice-President, Works and Plant Head
of JK Lakshmi Cement, Sirohi, explains how the untrained Adivasis had to gradually
be weaned off their closeted lifestyles and rigid mindsets through various confidence
building initiatives and programmes. “Most of our projects have come up in the
underdeveloped rural areas of India. In fact we are proud that our initiatives changed
the socio-economic structures of communities in many backward pockets of states like
Rajasthan. People who once could only use bows and arrows are now drivers of modern
machines like dumpers, shovels, and bulldozers and have even been imparted with
computer literacy,” says Singhania.

Literacy Programme: The aim of JKLC to provide education to illiterate tribal women
and children in the region has been very successful. The company also appoints qualified
teachers to teach in the region’s government schools in a bid to enhance the quality of
education. The reward has come in the form of a marked improvement in examination
results. Project Aarambh is another successful endeavour that was started with the aim
of readmitting school dropouts. As most schools lacked even basic infrastructure, JKLC
provided all the amenities down to stationery and furniture and appointed qualified
faculty in subjects such as English and Mathematics. To recognise and encourage gifted
tribal children, the Company honours SC and ST students at a special Pratibha Samman
Samaroh. Students who pass Class XII with a minimum of 50% marks and go on to
take admission in ITIs, engineering or degree courses are considered for this award. The
same cut-off is applicable for Class X pass-outs, as well as students who excel in sports
and games at the state level.

Nand Ghar Yojana: The pathetic condition of Aaganwadis in Pindwara Tehsil has
witnessed a turnaround with JKLC adopting five such centres on a five-year contract
under the PPP scheme, in support of the government initiative of the Integrated
Child Development Services Department under the Ministry of Women and Child
Development. Today, the ambience at these Aanganwadis has undergone a sea change
with refurbished interiors, sufficient study material and plenty of toys.

Women’s Empowerment: Sewing classes are held in two shifts at the house of the local
Member of Parliament, Sama Ram Gurasiya, in Pindwara. The provision of cloth and
sewing machines, as well as the task of identifying and appointing trainers are all covered

96 JK LAKSHMI CEMENT JK LAKSHMI CEMENT 97

 under the JKLC CSR initiative. The company’s 16 sewing training centres have trained
336 women so far. Of these 170 women have since purchased their own machines and
are now earning handsomely.

Naya Savera: This integrated family welfare programme was launched in 2004. The
objective of this project is to increase the awareness and knowledge of community
stakeholders, especially adolescent boys and girls, about reproductive and sexual health.
The project also aims at safeguarding and improving the health of women during
pregnancy. “We ensure good health for both the child and the mother and continue
our hand-holding till the baby is through with all the immunisations,” says Singhania.
Under the Naya Savera project 35 villages and 55 hamlets covering a population of
80,000 have been targeted. JKLC has also refurbished the Community Health Centre at
Pindwara under the PPP scheme. Mobile medical clinics provide succour to residents in
outlying areas. All these initiatives are linked with or are in partnership with government
programmes for a wider outreach.

Health Is Wealth
Swachh Kishori: JKLC has set up a sanitary napkin making machine at village Adarsh
under the Swachh Kishori initiative for the health and hygiene of tribal girls and
womenfolk of the village. Female nurses of JKLC’s medical team are trained to educate
them on these subjects. Over 500 females benefitted from this endeavour.

Other Health Initiatives: JKLC has organised over 308 awareness and sensitisation
sessions for HIV/AIDS benefitting close to 10,000 people. Smokeless chulhas
(stoves) have been distributed at the subsidised price of ` 600 to many households in
neighbouring villages. This has cut down on prevalent respiratory and ocular diseases.
Many more households are earmarked for this facility.

Water and Sanitation: JKLC has partnered with the Government of India’s Swachh
Bharat initiative, under the PPP model, to provide pukka toilets to every home in the
vicinity. To date, 550 household toilets have been constructed out of which 500 toilets
are in Rampura village and more toilets are under construction to make this village the
first ‘Open Defecation-Free’ zone in the region. JKLC has also constructed 12 toilets for
girls in nearby government schools, so as to provide better and safer hygienic facilities.
JKLC’s 16 sewing training
Hand pumps and water huts have been installed to help villagers meet their water centres have trained 336
needs. JKLC has also constructed cemented troughs in neighbouring villages that serve women so far. Of these 170
as watering holes for livestock when ponds go dry. When the water crisis turns acute, women have since purchased
water tankers do the rounds of villages covering a population of nearly 25,000 villagers their own machines and are
supplying potable water for their daily needs. now earning handsomely

98 JK LAKSHMI CEMENT
Reaching Farmers: JKLC has distributed highbred fruit and vegetable seeds to a hundred
farmers with the objective of increasing the yield and correspondingly their income.
This organic farming initiative under the corporate social responsibility progaramme
solicits the support of professional horticulturists to guide farmers and the response has
been overwhelming.

An Eye On The Future

Skilling: Under the Government of India’s ‘Skill India’ mission, JKLC has come up with
measures to encourage entrepreneurship by training youth to repair mobiles. Two such
centres, where a trainer conducts a three-month training course have seen 28 youth
successfully complete their course. Many of them are now employed or have set up
their own shops.

A training centre in Adarsh village conducts two-month embroidery classes that

have opened up sources of income for women. JKLC is poised to open more such centres
under their skill development scheme. A special programme has also been designed for
two-month courses in grooming in two beauty parlours (training centres). Today, 25
young girls and women have acquired training, and out of them, 10 have started their
own beauty parlours.

Green Initiative: Several plantation drives in schools and public spaces in and around
the factory premises as well as in neighbouring villages have been undertaken. This
has helped in recharging natural ground water aquifers. The heritage water well in
Rampura village has been repaired and fitted with a water pump that carries water to a
reconstructed water tank. This has turned out to be a boon for residents of the village.
An Oru or water tank for animals has also been constructed in Rampura village, which
has been chosen as a pilot project and adopted for overall development by JKLC. These
community engagement initiatives taken by JKLC in Sirohi, are rightly in the words of
Singhania, “like relationships” n

Left: People living in surrounding

tribal villages have been made
self sufficient. JKCL’s CSR
initiative has helped them to
cultivate vegetables on their own
land. Right: Vinita Singhania,
VC and MD, JKLC

JK LAKSHMI CEMENT 101

JKLC donates sports items to the
nearby tribal schools. Trained
students have participated at the
district and state level competitions

JKLC has constructed cemented troughs that serve as watering holes for livestock

Eye Witness
Sewing Initiative: A group of about 10 girls and women greeted us. Squatting on a mat
they were trying to master the basics of sewing under the watchful eye of their trainer,
Sugna Devi. Lakshmi and Shivani are sisters who come to attend the classes from a distance
of 20 kms every day. Parti in Class VI is the youngest among the batch. Some trainees have
already purchased their own sewing machines and are looking forward to earning their
own livelihoods. One of them has set up a tailoring shop in her residence, which according
to her, was picking up and has started to earn her some money. As we drove down to the
neighbouring Rampura village, colourful skirts, and blouses caught our attention in one
of the houses. We discovered that this full- fledged tailoring shop is run by a lady, trained
at one of the sewing centres supported by the JKLC CSR initiative. We also discovered
Kasinda – a vibrant style of traditional embroidery motifs done on dupattas. What makes
Kasinda unique is that the piece of cloth is incomplete until your best friend’s name is
embroidered on it! This remote hamlet has much to teach us about the value of friendship!

Literacy Programme: “English Kumar, iska naam hai,” says the mother of three at the
primary education centre in village Vaghdhari. The centre is headed by Nariya Devi, a
young teacher, who has been educated till Class XII. Students of all ages read the big
alphabets and numbers, printed in Hindi and English on charts hung on the wall. The
older women say that they love to come to the centre as they see it as an opportunity to
fulfil their desire to be literate. “Community development was part of our value system
even before CSR was coined,” says Singhania.

JK LAKSHMI CEMENT 103