The Business Bytes
THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, APRIL 8, 2025
In a significant stride towards rural development, Vedanta — India’s largest aluminium producer — has launched two high-impact CSR initiatives, Project Vidya and Project Nirmal, in the districts of Sundargarh and Jharsuguda, Odisha. Focused on transforming the lives of over 30,000 villagers across Hemgir and Kuraloi, these programmes are poised to enhance education, water accessibility, and sanitation infrastructure in some of the state’s most underserved communities.
The launch ceremony, held at Mundherkhet in Hemgir block, was graced by Sundargarh Sub-Collector Dasarathi Saraboo as the chief guest. Also present were Additional BDO Jitender Munda, Additional Block Education Officer Kapil Chandra Das, local sarpanches Sanyasi Bagh and Sunanda Kalo, and Chakra Cluster CRCC Nityanand Padhan.
Commending Vedanta’s commitment to community development, Sub-Collector Saraboo emphasized the importance of synergistic efforts between educators and students in achieving academic excellence. “Health and education are deeply interconnected. Vedanta’s initiatives rightly focus on both, ensuring that our children not only attend school but also thrive in a healthy learning environment,” he remarked.
David Stone, CEO of Vedanta Coal Mines, reiterated the company’s vision for sustainable growth. “We believe education and access to clean water are fundamental rights. Through Project Vidya and Project Nirmal, we are investing in the future of Odisha’s rural heartland,” he said.
Project Vidya is designed to bridge the critical teacher shortage in government schools. By deploying 22 additional educators across 20 peripheral schools, the initiative strengthens academic delivery in core subjects such as Mathematics, Science, and English. A special focus has also been laid on boosting foundational literacy and numeracy among younger students.
Project Nirmal, on the other hand, addresses basic infrastructural deficits in water and sanitation. The project has successfully installed 11 solar-powered borewells, 50 bio-toilets, and 20 water purifiers in 12 villages, significantly improving access to clean water and hygienic sanitation facilities.
In Hemgir’s Ghogharpalli region, schools such as Govt. U.P.S Mundherkhet, Bhograkachhar, Ghogharpalli, Podajalanga, Rengalpani, Chhatabar High School, and Bileimunda have been brought under the Vidya initiative. Similarly, in the Jamkhani area, institutions like Govt. Primary Schools at Jamkhani and R&R Colony, U.P.S Girisima, and Jharpalam High School have been covered. In Jharsuguda’s Kuraloi area, the beneficiaries include schools at Mohanpur, Ulapgarh, Liakhai, Piplimal, Khairkuni, and several Ashram Schools including those at Kuraloi, Banjari, and Grindola.
These initiatives underscore Vedanta’s unwavering commitment to sustainable community development, setting a benchmark for corporate social responsibility in India’s industrial landscape.
