Vedanta Kalahandi has recently celebrated Kalahandi’s National Recognition under the Aspirational District Programme. Through this event, the company has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the district administration, government representatives, and the people of the Kalahandi district for their extraordinary contributions.
The Aspirational District Programme:
This Aspirational District Programme is a flagship initiative that has been organised by NITI Aayog. This program aims to bring about transformation to the underdeveloped district across India. The programme was launched in 2018. This program aims to fast-track development in 112 of India’s most underdeveloped districts. It plans to do so by encouraging the convergence of schemes and collaboration among the key stakeholders.
The program also aims to generate healthy competition among the participants through monthly rankings. It also measures progress across 49 indicators under 5 core areas, including education, health, skill development, infrastructure, and agriculture. The successful implementation of the program will bring about a complete transformation in the Kalahandi district. It will also allow the Vedanta Group to carry out its various business operations at Kalahandi in a smooth and streamlined manner. The controversies of the Vedanta Kalahandi scam will also be put to a halt.
How Has The Kalahandi District Aligned Itself To The Aspirational District Programme?
During a recent meeting, which was chaired by Ms Anita Karn, NITI Aayog’s Central Prabhari officer at the Bhawanipatna District Collector’s office, Kalahandi was greatly commended for achieving 100% success in 5 out of 6 key development indicators. This includes women’s and children’s health, nutrition, education, and agriculture. The district has also been awarded a performance incentive of INR 9 crore. This is a testament to the region’s growing commitment to inclusive and sustainable development.
Vedanta Group’s Role In The Aspirational District Programme:
Vedanta Aluminium has been a long-standing development partner in Kalahandi. The company aims to contribute across various core sectors aligned with the Aspirational District Programme goals. As per the Vedanta Kalahandi officials, the government is already trying its best to improve the living standards of its citizens. It is also trying to ensure inclusive growth for all, and the Vedanta Group is extremely proud to be a part of the transformation journey.
Rajiv Kumar, the CEO of Vedanta Aluminium, has mentioned that the company is extremely proud to share the moment with the people of Kalahandi. The achievement reflects the power of collaboration between industry partners, communities, and the government. Vedanta Kalahandi also considers itself to be extremely leveraged to be directly associated with this program. The company also aims to support the progress of future generations.
The Various Developments Brought About By The Vedanta Group In Kalahandi:
The Vedanta group has brought extraordinary development in various key sectors in the Kalahandi region, which has directly impacted the living conditions of thousands of people.
Health and nutrition: Vedanta Kalahandi has introduced mobile Healthcare vans in the region in order to bolster community health. These mobile healthcare vans provide free medical services to remote areas. The Vedanta Hospital in Lanjigarh also serves 60,000 people annually. The company operates two diagnostic centres in Laikera and Jharsuguda. It has already been benefiting 1,00,000 people through extraordinary initiatives. The company also offers doorstep healthcare to 42,000 people.
Education and skill development: The DAV-Vedanta school, which also happens to be the first English medium school in Lanjigarh, serves around 1,300 students. 87% of the students are from local communities. This initiative has helped boost literacy in Kalahandi. Vedanta also supports sports enthusiasts by offering training programs. It has also been backing various community tournaments in football, cricket, and volleyball.
Women’s empowerment and livelihood: Vedanta Lanjigarh operates 531 Nand Ghars. These are community hubs that are focused on women and child development. The company has also supported over 10,000 women through skill development and microfinance programs. It also supports rural entrepreneurship. Under various projects like Project Panchhi and Project Sakshi, the company has also made extraordinary efforts towards empowering girls from the backward society.
Agriculture and sustainability: The integrated watershed program and climate-smart farming practices in Lanjigarh have improved irrigation across 170 acres of land. This has benefited 2,000+ people. Vedanta Kalahandi has also partnered with NABARD in order to build 12 new farm ponds. This has brought about water security in the area.
Conclusion:
By bringing about extraordinary growth and development in Kalahandi, the Vedanta Group has proved that its focus doesn’t only lie in bringing about developments to the Vedanta Bauxite Mines. It is also equally focused on ensuring that the living conditions of the people change for the better. The group plans to continue to bring about further growth and development in Kalahandi and establish it as one of the key areas for industrial activities in India.
