CORPORATE VOICE - 'Care and development do not have boundaries to work
within'

RAJIV KUMAR

M OST companies today believe in helping out society while keeping a watch
on their bottomlines. Following this philosophy, the Dharampal Satyapal (DS)
Group has chosen to mesh its social vision into its business vision to cater
to its social responsibility (SR). Our prime focus here is to consistently
work for the benefit of the country's North-East region. The company has
been working in Assam and Tripura on a wide range of SR programmes, from
education to helping ethnic communities become selfreliant.
As part of its SR initiatives, DS Group has financed the construction of an
eco lodge at Magherita in Upper Assam. This initiative is aimed to make the
Singpho tribals financially independent and the community from Magherita has
allotted a piece of community land for this purpose. Proper residential
amenities will go a long way in attracting tourists from other parts of
India and abroad to see and feel the tribal culture of the North East.
The Group proposes to work in projects in the tribal belt of Assam by
providing seeds and organisation supervision for the jatropha plantation
project. The manpower for this project would include local community leaders
and volunteers from a local college. We are also exploring various
agricultural options for financial and economic development of other ethnic
communities.
Apart from developing the community, our company is making special efforts
to preserving the heritage of the region too. One of the biggest attractions
in Assam is the Kamakhya Temple atop Nilachal hill, where Goddess Kamakhya
is worshipped and which commands a majestic view of the city and the river.
Maa Kamakhya Temple is one of the most important and holy places in India
and hordes of devotees throng this holy temple to offer prayers. The
importance of this temple is not only to devotees but also to the tourism
industry, which considers this temple as one of the major draws of the area.
The company has contributed towards the development works of the temple and
we are also renovating the Sheetala Maa Mandir and constructing a railing
around the holy pond inside the temple premises. The company has also
donated towards the development of the Assam State Zoo-cumBotanical Gardens.
If education is a manifestation of an individual's success in life, then
proper infrastructure and environment is the backbone on which this is
built. The company's education support programmes are aimed at overcoming
the lack of opportunities available to the people in the North-East. The
Group has been renovating local schools like Pallimangal H.S School to
facilitate education for the village children. The objective is to inculcate
the value of education leading to a better life for the younger generation.
The group is also upgrading the Funning Village School in Upper Assam by
providing basic amenities. Continuing with its commitment to bringing
quality education to the North-East, Dharampal Satyapal Group is setting up
a Law College in Guwahati which will offer a five-year integrated course on
the lines of the National Law College, for which they have committed
financial aid. They have also donated a handsome sum to the Tripura
Government to set up a medical College in Agartala. The DS Charitable Trust
runs two educational institutions, Anglo Sanskrit Victoria Jubilee Senior
Secondary School and the Commercial School located at Daryaganj in Delhi
that educate more than 2,000 students. These schools have a place of pride
in the academic circles of Delhi since 1869 and are seen as the inspirers of
quality education and values.
The company believes in standing by the people of the community where they
do business because like business, care and development too does not have
any boundaries to work within.


Publication : FE; Section : Corporate Citizen; Pg : 4; Date : 14/10/07
URL :
http://70.86.150.130/financialexpress/ArticleText.aspx?article=14_10_2007_004_004