Tata Steel bags award on AIDS work

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Tata Steel bags award on AIDS work

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Jamshedpur, June 1: Tata Steel was awarded the TERI Corporate Award

for its initiatives for HIV/AIDS.

The award was given away by Union minister of commerce and industry

Kamal Nath at a function held in New Delhi last evening. The award

was given in collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische

Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), an international co-operation enter- prise for

sustainable development with worldwide operations, to recognise and

mainstream corporate leadership for HIV/AIDS intervention.

H.K. Gardin, the head (family initiatives), corporate sustainability

services, received the award on behalf of Tata Steel.

The award was given in recognition for the steel major's initiatives

and progress made on the same in the last financial year. Tata Steel

had applied in category III (as the company's turnover is more than

Rs 500 crore).

Chief of corporate communications Sanjay Choudhry said the award was

yet another recognition for the company and its commitment to

providing better standards of living for the communities it operates

in.

" The selection criteria for receiving the award was an analysis of

the objective of the study, response to the needs of the community,

process of implementation, difference made by the programme to the

community and sustainability component of the programme, " he said.

A team of experts from TERI, Jyotsna Bapat, Atanu Sarkar and Sophia

Lonappan, had visited the city for an on-the-spot survey. They

interacted with the stakeholders and also held meetings with them.

The health and safety of the employees and the community is extremely

critical for Tata Steel and is enshrined in the company's vision.

It has taken proactive steps in AIDS prevention by spreading

awareness not only among its employees, but also the community at

large so that the inhabitants of Jamshedpur and other locations,

remain safe.

Tata Steel has evolved a corporate sector model to prevent the spread

of STD/HIV/AIDS, globally and nationally. This model is being shared

through forums like ILO, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS,

Global Compact Initiatives, National AIDS Control Organisation and

Jharkhand AIDS Prevention Consortium.

This programme extends to the rural and urban populace residing in

and around Jamshedpur.

Tata Steel is one of the founding members of Global Business

Coalition, which is an alliance of over a hundred major international

companies dedicated to combating the disease.

The prestigious Global Business Coalition Award for 2003 for Business

Excellence was conferred on Tata Steel for its response to the

epidemic and its outstanding HIV/AIDS awareness activities in the

steel city and its adjoining areas.

The award is conferred on companies who have evolved best practices

on HIV/AIDS prevention, especially to reduce the stigma and

discrimination.

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