Units are located mainly in backward area's, the company took steps to create better and healthy living conditions for both its employees as well as people living in the periphery Medical and health care: Ever since inception, SAIL has endeavoured to provide a healthy life to the people living in the peripheral areas of its plants/units. As the plants.There are 20 hospitals including 4 state-of-art hospitals situated throughout the country having a total strength of around 4000 beds for the benefit of employees, their dependents and the peripheral population and are managed by trained medical staff of around 4400 people.SAIL has launched an AIDS awareness and control program in partnership with National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Till date about Rs.32 million have been received for implementing the policies of NACP-II in all plants/units. SAIL hospitals also implement the RCH programme across all plants/units. SAIL is also participating in other National Health Programmes like TB Control, anti-Malaria, Leprosy etc. The company also organizes a number of health camps at various villages on fixed days. Villagers with major ailments are referred by these centres to the main plant hospitals, where they receive treatment. These centres also observe certain occasions such as World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, New Born Week, etc., to enhance awareness and sensitise people on health related issues. Another major function of these centers is to create health awareness by distributing handbills, condoms, water purification tablets, etc., in health camps/melas, putting up hoardings in prominent locations and conducting debate, painting and quiz competitions, etc.Roads :
Good road connectivity of villages allows people easy access t o basic health and educational services, as well as infrastructure support for production, trade and commerce. The company has been actively involved in the construction and repair of 40 kms of pucca roads per year, thereby providingcommunication facilities to nearly 2 lakh people across 329 villages every year. This compares well with the national average of 25.82 kms. per million population.One of the most brilliant examples of SAIL's road building initiative can be seen in Salem, Tamil Nadu where a road was constructed connecting the plant to the National Highway # 7Access water facilities :Nearly 40% of the households in India still do not have access to potable water. Also, millions of Indians suffer from water-borne disease like hepatitis, choleric fever, etc. SAIL recognized this and has been consistently providing potable water to the people of its township and those living in nearby areas. Each plant has ensured that the nearby villagers within the radius of 20 Kms of its township have access to potable water. This has been done by installing 1,831 water sources, including bore-wells with hand-pumps, overhead tanks, ponds and taps, as well as by laying pipelines for transportation of water per day. These facilities are provided within a radius of 1-2 kms of the targeted households and provide a minimum of 20 litres of water per day.Others :Creating Sustainable IncomesA sense of hope for future is most important for leading a good life. And at the very center of this hope is having a sustained income -to pay for the basic necessities of life, to invest in the future.SAIL's endeavours in the area of CSR are targeted to adding value for enriching lives and ensuring a strong future for the beneficiaries. Imparting them with skills that help them lead a better life and sustain their respective generations is a key focus towards creating communities that are in complete control of the time to come. Development of such families through workshops and skill enhancement training programmes has been a major entrepreneurial gesture of the company. SAIL is constantly working to identify various areas where training and help to the communities can be imparted so as to make them self sustaining units that can generate incomes for themselves.People living in the peripheral area of SAIL's plants/ units are taught skills that will help them to merit more than two square meals a day. These programmes promote rural savings and credit, natural resource management, village infrastructure development, increased agricultural productivity through better management of resources and intensive cropping, and skill development and enhancement of the community. Ancillary DevelopmentGood suppliers are intangible assets to any organization. Ancillary industries are not only suppliers of materials but are also extremely important source of information with regard to market conditions, price trends and the general industrial climate.SAIL has been developing ancillary industries from as early as 1978. SAIL started ancillarisation with 31 units on record. On an average the company has been adding 45 units annually thus creating employment for nearly 800 people each year. To promote ancillary industries SAIL has been supporting these industries by providing land, supply of potable water and other infrastructure facilities, consultation for developing the industry, publication of printed matter to inform the entrepreneurs of SAIL's requirements, special exhibitions of parts and drawings to get the exact specifications and ideas, exemption from paying EMD, security deposit etc. SAIL also provides handling equipment to these industries on hire basis, testing facilities providing available raw materials for manufacture, etc. In recognition of its promotion of ancillarisation and actively developing industries in the Chattisgarh region, the Government of Madhya Pradesh had conferred the prestigious 'Sahayak Udyag Mitra' award on Bhilai Steel Plant in 1997. Bhilai was the first organization to be honoured with the award.Environmental InitiativesSAIL has always recognized the need to main the ecological balance. Various initiatives of SAIL in this regard are : Tree Plantation Drive in Bhilai where a 100 Km long tree plantation drive has been undertaken, Medicinal plantation (Amla) activities undertaken in Chattisgarh region.