Udupi, 18 Apr 2017: UPCL owned by Adani Group, in collaboration with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) wing Adani Foundation, on Monday, April 17, distributed scholarship worth Rs 1 crore to the meritorious students residing in the plant vicinity.
The scholarships were distributed to nearly 2,500 students in the stage programme organized premises of St Francis Xavier School ground, Mudarangady, near here.
Francis Xavier Gomes, parish priest of ImmaculateConception Church, Mulky and Fr Francis Xavier Lewis, parish priest of St Francis Xavier Church, Mudarangady and UPCL joint president Kishore Alva inaugurated the functin.
Inaugurating the programme, Alva informed that UPCL in association with Adani Foundation is executing CSR works in the field of education, health, rural infrastructure development, sports and cultural activities. Today under Educational Initiatives, UPCL was distributing scholarship to the identified meritorious students, residing in and around the plant. Already the scholarship worth Rs 10 lac has been distributed to 414 meritorious students studying in Class IX in 80 Government schools and with the today’s distribution of Rs 91 lac scholarship amount to totally 2096 students, Adani UPCL’s scholarship scheme programme has touched worth Rs. 1 crore and has created another milestone in CSR, he added. He informed that students who are residing in the plant vicinity and studying in SSLC, PUC, Degree, Post-Graduation, Medical, Engineering, Diploma, ITI and who have secured 70 percent and above are being considered for scholarship distributed. He further informed that honoring the meritorious students with scholarship motivates them to pursue higher studies and will impart the thinking of competition among other students.
He further said that under Educational programmes of CSR, UPCL in addition to scholarship, distributes educational kits to nearly 6500 school students, provides computers facilitating training to the students, inviting students to its plant enabling students to gain knowledge on power plant operation. To safeguard the interests of girl students, Adani Foundation has constructed separate toilets in 4 Government Schools and is initiating installation of Sanitary Napkin Incinerators, he added.
Adani UPCL is committed to maintain the green environment both inside the plant and also in its vicinity. As a part of social forestry, Adani UPCL has planted more than 4 lac saplings inside the plant premises and distributed 2 fruit bearing tree saplings to all the students studying in 80 Government/Government aided schools in and around the plant. The saplings have been distributed to the villagers also involving grama panchayats. Every year Adani UPCL is distributing nearly 25000 fruit-bearing saplings to the students and panchayat members, he added.
Distributing the scholarship Fr Francis Xavier Gomes applauded the CSR activities of Adani UPCL. He said that Adani is contributing in a big way in the field of Education. He informed that students of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts will be having good academic and this scholarship motivates them to pursue higher education and settle in big organizations across the Nation. He further informed that he has never come across any company which has distributed this huge quantum of scholarship. He also welcomed the initiative of Adani UPCL in inviting the students to visit Plant and understand the process of operations involved in it, strengthening their academics.
Deviprasad Shetty, president of Belapu Grama Panchayat, spoke on behalf of all the panchayat presidents and acknowledged the massive village development activities of Adani UPCL under CSR. He said that with the various social development activities under CSR with the able leadership of Kishore Alva, Adani UPCL has gained the confidence of villagers. He appreciated the company’s contribution in the Rural Infrastructure development, education, health, sports and cultural activities in the surrounding villages. He added that Adani UPCL has created one more revolution in the history of CSR by distributing scholarship worth Rs 1 crore. He declared that Adani UPCL has become a boon to the villagers. Further he advised students to have an aim in their life and work hard to reach that aim.
Speaking on the occasion, Fr Francis Xavier Lewis informed that Adani UPCL is lighting a lamp in the houses of surrounding villages on this Easter’s event by distributing the scholarship. He advised students to utilize the scholarship and pursue higher education and work for the development of society. He appreciated the CSR activities of Adani UPCL.
David D’Souza, president of Mudarangady gram panchayat, Vasanti Madhwaraj, president of Yellur gram panchayat, Jitendra Futrado, president of Palimar gram panchayat, Arunakumari, president of Tenka gram panchayat, Nagaratna Karkera, president of Bada gram panchayat, Dheeraj Shetty, president of Kutyaaru gram panchayat, Sandeep Rao, president of Majoor gram panchayat, Keshava Moily, Dinesh Kotian, members of Taluk Panchayat were present on the occasion.
Ravi R Jere, manager of Adani UPCL welcomed the gathering. Girish Navada, AGM, delivered vote of thanks. Chandrahasa Prabhu, teacher of St Francis Xavier School compered the programme.