CSR Policy

CSR Policy of Godavari Biorefineries Limited

Godavari Biorefineries Ltd. (GBL) had been demerged from The Godavari Sugar Mills Ltd. in 2009. The Godavari Sugar Mills Ltd., was formed by Late Shri Karamshibhai Jethabhai Somaiya (Padmabhushan) and his son, Dr. Shantilal Karamshibhai Somaiya, in 1939 & has been contributing to the industrial development of India for more than seven decades. Under the dynamic leadership of the Chairman and Managing Director, Shri Samir S. Somaiya & his professional team, the Company is running an Integrated Sugar Biorefinery and is among the top three Sugar complexes out of around 500 sugar manufacturers in India. The Company is one of the largest producers of Alcohol & a pioneer in manufacture of Alcohol based Chemicals in India.

GBL has plants located in the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra in India & has diverse interests in Sugar, Power, Industrial Alcohol, Heavy Organic Chemicals, Specialty Chemicals, Bio-fertilizers & Agricultural Research. It manufacturers more than twenty products from renewable resources, thereby forming an entire Value Chain right from Sugar Cane to Sugar to other value added products like Power, Ethanol, Bio-fertilizers etc.

As a socially conscious corporate, GBL has contributed significantly towards community development in and around its operational area since inception. GBL’s approach to social development is to ensure growth, focusing especially on the most underprivileged sections of the society. With this in mind, it has attempted to bring old, backward villages into the mainstream, providing the communities with education, health, self-employment, the skills and strengths to make the most of the opportunities offered by modern India.

It primarily focused on villages within the radius of its operational area. The ensuing social development activities have led to the promotion of higher education, health awareness, self employment, environment and wild life protection, construction of schools, and socially benefiting thousands of people living in the area.

GBL ensures that people living in the vicinity of our operational areas, especially the poorest of the poor in the surrounding areas, are benefited directly and indirectly through the various development projects we have undertaken under our CSR initiatives.

GBL adjudged that the primary needs of the communities in its operational areas were for economic independence and, to that end; the communities needed skills that could be marketed, and an environment that would facilitate such economic activity. As a responsible corporate entity, it thereupon began organizing initiatives in education and training, in providing infrastructure and health care.

The Board of Directors at its meeting held on 12th December, 2017 re- constituted Corporate Social Responsibility Committee considering sad demise Dr. K. V. Raghavan, Mr. B.R. Barwale and cessation of Mr. Paul Zorner. The re-constituted committee consists of Mr. Jayendra Shah, Mr. S Mohan, Prof. M. Lakshmi Kantam.

The Committee members and Smt. Amrita S. Somaiya to decide on and monitor the implementation of the projects/programs to be carried out as Corporate Social Responsibility within purview of Schedule VII of the Act.

Objectives

Corporate Social Responsibility is Company’s commitment to operate in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner, while recognizing the interest of its stakeholders.

The aim of CSR policy of the GBL is to identify and to lend a helping hand to the underprivileged and economically weaker sections of the society and to Contribute for their growth and development.

Some of the areas of focus under CSR activities are
  • Promotion of Education
  • Promoting gender equality and empowering women
  • Reducing child mortality and improving maternal health
  • Combating human immunodeficiency virus, acquired deficiency syndrome, malaria and other diseases
  • Ensuring environmental sustainability
  • Protection of national heritage
  • Contribution to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund
  • Rural development projects
Main areas of focus
Promotion of Education
  • Help A Child To Study Project: Providing scholarships, computer, textbooks etc to needy and meritorious students. (www.helpachild.org.in).
  • Pre Primary schools (Anganwadi centers)
  • Support to Kannada, Marathi and English medium schools in Rural Karnataka and Maharastra.
  • Donation of books to school libraries
  • Promotion of adult education with focus on women’s education
  • Quiz competitions for school students
  • Seminar for Panchayat Members
  • Lectures on Dental care
  • Education tour for sugarcane growers to various research stations and Agricultural Universities etc.
Promoting gender equality and empowering women
  • Conducting regular tailoring classes
  • Preparation of vermin composting
  • Bakery trainings
  • Painting class
  • Kruti Project - Preparation of bags with locally available cotton
  • Law awareness programs for women
  • Food and nutritional awareness programs
Reducing child mortality and improving maternal health
  • Ankur Project: Prevention of blindness in young children
  • Participating in National Pulse Polio Programs
  • Cleft lip screening and operation camps
  • Hepatitis B vaccination camps
Combating human immunodeficiency virus, acquired deficiency syndrome, malaria and other diseases
  • HIV / AIDS and TB awareness programs
  • Conducting regular multi diagnostic medical camps
  • Conducting regular cataract operations
  • Conducting regular health check up camps for school children
  • Organizing regular yoga camps
  • Health awareness campaigns on serious/chronic diseases
  • Organizing Blood donation camps
  • Acupressure camp
Ensuring environmental sustainability
  • Lake: Motivated for constructing 15 acres of water tank for drinking water and also to increase ground water
  • Anti poaching kits to preserve Tiger in Dandeli wildlife division
  • Animal adoption at Mysore Zoo
  • Opening Goshala during droughts
  • Foot and mouth (FM) disease / bullock pair exhibitions
  • Dog show – promoting local breed Mudhol Hound
Protection of national heritage
  • Organized state level Kuvempu & K.J.Somaiya birth centenary celebration
  • Organizing regular Bhajan competitions
  • Rangoli competition and exhibitions
  • Folk Instruments – Dollu & Karadi vadan Competitions
  • Tourism functions
Contribution to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund
  • Flood relief works at river Krishna and Ghataprabha
  • Rehabilitation of Devadasis
Rural development projects
  • Panchmukhi activates at Madabhavi village
  • Toys to Anganwadi centers
  • Assistance to physically challenged persons
  • Physically challenged to Jaipur foot camp
  • Promoting Kabaddi tournaments
  • Promotion of sanitation through providing financial assistance for construction of toilets in nearby villages
  • Constructed community toilets in association with local government
Budget:

The Board of the Company shall decide each year budget for CSR activities. The actual budget shall be based on the CSR programs planned and approved for that year. The total budgeted amount for the year shall be distributed on projects of GBL establishments as below:

  1. Projects / GBL Establishments – 85% such as
    • Promotion of Education
    • Promoting gender equality and empowering women
    • Reducing child mortality and improving maternal health
    • Combating human immunodeficiency virus, acquired deficiency syndrome, malaria and other diseases
    • Ensuring environmental sustainability
    • Protection of national heritage
  2. Contribution to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund / Natural calamities – 10%
  3. Unforeseen requirements – 5%*
Modalities of Execution of Projects/Programs
  • A separate department headed by a senior person with suitable background and reporting directly to the CMD or a Director nominated by CMD shall deal with all activities related to CSR. The department may also hire consultants with required competency and experience from time to time for identified projects to be in charge for implementation of the projects.
  • A suitable trust / registered society may also be established to implement specific project / activity.
  • GBL may take up the projects directly with the approval of CMD.
  • At project level a separate functionary at a senior level will head the CSR dept.
  • CMD of the company constitute a CSR advisory committee, which may consist of two Directors (one independent) and CSR head and implementing and monitoring committee. The role of the advisory committee shall be to advise on the selection / implementation / monitoring of the specific project.
  • Audit: The Company will undertake Social Audit of projects implemented under CSR program through an independent agency every financial year of the projects so as to assess the effect of CSR intervention.
  • General: -
  1. All administrative expenses including expenditure on wages & salaries, tours and travels, training & development of personnel deputed on CSR activities would be borne from CSR fund.
  2. The Competent Authority to take decision on sanctioning works / allocation of funds for CSR and appointing authorized agencies for implementing projects /activities shall be as specified in the delegation of powers approved by the CMD / Board.
  3. If it is observed that any CSR activity taken up for implementation is found not properly implemented, GBL at its discretion may discontinue funding the project at any time during the course of implementation.
  4. On the advice of the CSR Advisory Committee selected project may be taken up for evaluation through an outside agency.
  5. CMD shall be empowered to amend or modify this policy and such changes shall be placed before the Board for approval.
Guidelines for consideration of proposals and allotment of funds for CSR projects and activities
  • Individual proposals have to be within the framework of the CSR policy,
  • Every CSR proposal have to define activities, time frame, financial requirement, organizational responsibilities, outcome / expected results and sustainable aspects. The CSR dept. will evaluate the proposals and give its recommendations,
  • Appropriate financial powers shall be delegated to head of the project and for timely execution,
  • The releasing of funds in phased manner shall be clearly defined in the proposal to ensure proper utilization and submission of periodical progress reports before release of installments,
  • Project proposals will be prepared by the Company. The CSR project prepared by state/district/local authority within the purview of CSR policy may also be considered for implementation with the approval of the Competent Authority,
  • The proposals identified by the Company may be executed by the Company through reputed agencies / State Govt. as considered appropriate by the Company