The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
of the J&K Bank seeks to recognize obligations towards society
and aims to integrate the CSR ideals into its mission for optimizing
both business and social performance. It stresses on promoting
work life balance, give attention to social and environmental
concerns and host of factors that facilitate business pursuits
and accomplishment of economic goals. The CSR is not just recognized
as promulgating the Bank's own values and principles of philanthropy
but also the values and principles of all those who have a stake
in it or are affected by its operations. By supporting social
cause aligned to the mission the CSR strategy differentiates the
Bank's brand and enhances its reputation. The Bank manages social
issues in the same manner as any other strategic business issues.
The Bank besides playing its role in economic
development of the State and country contributes significantly
towards the social cause. The Bank has established its credentials
for the poor and needy by donating generously for various philanthropic
activities aimed at ameliorating their sufferings. Be it victims
of natural calamity, like fire, flood, snowstorm or tsunami and
disabled or patients with serious ailment who lack reliable means
of survival, the bank has been all through supporting them. The
one and a half decades long turmoil in the State of J&K has added
to the agonies of people with hundreds of children losing their
parents to fend for themselves in this harsh world. The Bank realizing
its responsibility of saving the life/ future of these blooming
children, adopt several of them by providing financial support
either through various orphanages where they are sheltered or
directly to the orphans by bearing their educational or other
expenditure. The Bank would continue to provide study scholarships
to the poor and needy students including students from far-flung
areas, who without such support would have been school dropouts.
The Bank shall continue donations for the development of infrastructure
(computers, books, TV's, prosthetic support etc) to various NGOs,
societies, trusts, institutions, etc. involved in socio-economic
development of the society. The physically challenged persons
belonging to socially and economically deprived classes especially
children shall be helped by acquiring prosthetic support by meeting
partly or fully cost of surgery with pre and post medication.
In order to enable socially and economically
weaker classes to live a healthy life the bank shall endeavor
to give financial support to the needy and poor patients, afflicted
with dreaded diseases like Cancer, cardiac failure, Kidney failure
etc. for their treatment / surgery.
Heritage preservation is an important responsibility
of every conscious individual, institution or agency. The thrust
areas to assist in this respect for the Bank will be preservation
of historical/religious monuments, development of tourist sites,
national properties, museums, libraries, protection of environment/ecology
etc. and sponsoring seminars and awareness camps, art and literary
works, 3rd cultural activities, social service camps, college
or university students clubs etc.
The Bank has been playing a vital role in
the promotion of tourism and it is in this backdrop that the Bank
has been shouldering the responsibility of registering yatris
for the Shree Amarnathji Yatra through its extensive network of
branches spread across the country. The yatra is an annual religious
function of Hindu community, wherein devotees travel by foot to
pay obeisance to Holy Shiv Lingam at Shree Amarnathji cave. The
Bank puts in place special registration counters at all branches
of the Bank outside the state and some selected branches in Jammu
and Kashmir State. In addition to this, accidental insurance cover
facilitity of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd. to the
pilgrims at a nominal premium is made available to the yatris.
During the yatra, the bank establishes mobile branches even at
the holy cave. People in general and pilgrims in particular all
over the country have appreciated this effort and won lot of applause
for the Bank .
Apart from above activities the Bank has
been constructing/developing the public utility service like public
parks, bus stands, drinking water posts, lavatories, conveniences,
rain shelters. In addition to this, the bank organizes relief
camps, service camps, night shelters, health resorts, health clinics,
disaster & calamity management centers, rehabilitation centers
etc.
With the objective of promoting the philanthropic activities,
other social and environmental issues, the bank has a CSR policy
in place embodying the broader principles for providing donations.
The donations are made within the prescribed limit of 1% of the
published profit for the previous year. It focuses on economic,
social, cultural and geographical backwardness of the area.
The bank provides financial assistance for
the benefit of Handicapped persons/ orphans/ poor patients suffering
from serious ailments.
Provides direct assistance or through Prime
Minister's Relief Fund or Chief Minister's Relief Fund or any
other national level or state level calamity relief fund to needy
who have suffered due to natural disaster and calamities.
Helps in rehabilitation of handicapped children/
persons belonging to depressed classes of society.
Provides for procurement of devices / apertures
for kidney transplantation; cardiac interventions; cancer patients;
AIDS HIV and other dreaded diseases, philanthropic support for
people belonging to economically deprived sections of the society.
Provides financial support to orphanages.
Provides scholarships to meritorious students
of depressed sections of the society at various levels with focus
on the needy.
Provides technical and financial support
for the Heritage Preservation through sponsorship of awareness
seminars, organizing social service camps, sponsoring Art & Literary
works and preservation and development of important Historical,
religious, tourist sites, museums, libraries, archives, scientific
organizations and National properties.
Provides financial assistance for protection
of Environment/ecology.
Constructs and develops the public utility
services like bus stands, development of parks, construction of
drinking water posts, lavatories, conveniences etc.
The donations are directly made to depressed
class of society including physically challenged person or through
a Non Governmental Organization engaged in the ameliorating of
the suffering of this class of society.
To ensure transparency in selection of deserving
beneficiaries followed by disbursement of proceeds to the donees,
the following precautionary measures are also ensured.
The applicant should not be an employee
of any Institution, semi-Government, quasi- Government or
Government organization entitled to Medical Aid benefits.
The applicant is not a professional beggar.
The applicant is not a dependent family
member of Bank's own staff.
The Bank's CSR is rooted in its Corporate
Governance philosophy, which in turn is woven around Bank's commitment
to ethical practices in the conduct of its business, while striving
in the constant quest to grow with profits and enhance shareholders
value and align interests of the shareholders, stakeholders and
society through adoption of best international practices and standards.
Managing CSR is not viewed as an extra cost or burden but is viewed
not only as making good business sense but also contributing to
the long-term prosperity of our Bank and ultimately its survival.
Being a good neighbour and showing that you care on the one hand
and being a successful business on the other, are flip sides of
the same coin.
The Bank donated Rs.one lakh to Maharaja
Ranjit Singh Trust, New Delhi, for the upliftment of downtrodden
sections of the society. The Bank gave donation to the Foundation
for inter-community Relations Delhi for upliftment of society.
A financial assistance to the tune of Rs.1.00 lakh for the welfare
of Gujjars was given to Gurjar Desh Charitable Trust, Jammu. The
Bank donated sewing machines to destitute widows through Bhartiya
Dalit Sahitya Academy, Jammu. Showing its eagerness for the upliftment
of women, the Bank donated embroidery machines to Women's Welfare
Society, Kachhama, Kupwara. The Bank also gave donation to NGO
Friends Association for Ladies and Orphans Welfare (FAOW), Srinagar.
Devastating fire in village Batpora (Wathora),
Kashmir rendered hundreds of people homeless and two persons lost
their lives. The Bank organized a relief camp and distributed
50 kgs of rice and Rs.5,000 to each of the affected family. Similarly,
another relief camp was organized for the fire victims at Seer,
Anantnag (South Kashmir), where blankets, eatables and domestic
utensils were distributed among the sufferers. A camp was also
organised by the Bank at Lasipora, Pahalgam, where cash was distributed
among the fire victims.
With a view to help Kargil war sufferers
of Drass area in Ladakh region in their rehabilitation, the Bank
organized a relief camp. Blankets and eatables were distributed
among the people covering about 1500 families settled in 17 villages
in and around Drass, who had migrated to Sankoo, Saliskote and
other far flung areas of Kargil. Stationery items were distributed
among the school going children.
Poverty is an age
old and worldwide phenomenon. It affects the quality of life of the
people in the society in one form or other. India is a developing
country with huge percentage of population living below poverty line.
India has a massive poverty.
The analysis of poverty scenario in India
is a complex one. The unemployment/underemployment, underdeveloped
agricultural sector, unbalanced development with huge regional imbalances,
illiteracy, shortage of capital, lack of entrepreneurs, etc are some
of the major causes of poverty in India.
Keeping this in view, the
Bank during the year 2005-06 launched a comprehensive programme for
upliftment of poor and to raise the living standard of masses and
ameliorate their socio-economic conditions so as to achieve balanced
economic growth with social justice.
Bank targeted those people who
have certain entitlements in the form of productive assets, education
& skills, the possession of which otherwise can generate incomes to
buy the food requirements above the subsistence level. However, the
programme recognized that poverty cannot be eradicated by relief.
It needs to be removed through creation of productive employment opportunities
and other social conditions. Productive employment generates growth,
creates assets and thus improves the economic conditions of the poor
who get engaged in such pursuit. At the same time, growth through
productive employment creates a multiplier effect for bringing about
a change in the economic scene. Further, poverty originates in villages
and Bank took various initiatives to contain it there so that its
overflow to towns and cities in the form of social migrations and
slum dwellers is stopped. Therefore, the focus of Bank's poverty eradication
programme 'WE ARE FOR THE POOR' was rural centric.
Under the programme,
the Bank undertook number of initiatives to raise the standard of
people and alleviate poverty. The programme covered areas of agriculture,
horticulture, village and cottage industries, fisheries, tourism,
handicrafts on one hand and promotion of health, sanitation, communication
and education on the other.
Name
Environmental
Excellence Programme
Objective
To preserve and promote green & pollution free environment.
In the last few years environmental degradation has reached to
immense proportion owing to unabated exploitation of nature and
natural resources. The major factors responsible for degradation
of environment in India have been heavy industrialization, deforestation,
increase in traffic in cities, population explosion, illiteracy,
etc. Accordingly, in order to preserve environment and promote pollution
free environment, the Bank has launched a comprehensive programme
to preserve and promote green & pollution free environment. Under
the programme, the bank undertook number of measures like planting
trees, developing parks and gardens at barren lands, undertaking
cleanliness drives etc. Awareness camps are organized on continuous
basis at number of places to educate people to keep their environment
clean
The preservation of environment is a top most priority for the
Bank. The Bank has been playing a pivotal role in protecting the
environment by organising cleanliness drives throughout the country
particularly in the state of J&K. During "Plantation Week" massive
plantation drives are organised at various parts of the Jammu and
Kashmir State. On the eve of World Arboriculture Day, the a massive
plantation drive was undertaken at Badamwari, Srinagar where almond
sapling were planted. The plantation drive at Badamwari was undertaken
as a part of the Bank's plan to revive the famous almond garden,
which had lost its fame over the years due to negligence and oblivion.
Nostalgic feelings about the past had never been so strong as they were on
March 25, 2008 when J&K Bank dedicated the
revived and redesigned pride past of Kashmir,
Badam Vaer to the people of Kashmir.
Developed around the famous Waris Khan Chah
, Badam Vaer is a solid reminder
of the past and a walk around it refreshes and
resurrects the sense of history.
The Bank has been extending support to municipalities and hospitals
in Srinagar and Jammu cities for ensuring better hygienic conditions.
The Bank developed a public park at Iqbal Park, Srinagar. The park
at one time was in a dilapidated condition and a thriving place
for all kinds of insects. Even the garbage of most of the areas
of the city was being dumped in the park and also main vegetable
& fish market used to operate in the park. The park had become nuisance
for people in general and residents of area in particular as foul
smell used to emanate from the park. The park is now presenting
a new look and has become a major attraction for people, which reflects
the J&K Bank's environmentalist approach. The Bank has converted
barren piece of lands into green pastures in the state. The bank
has developed children's amusement park in the world-renowned hill
station of Pahalagam in the heart of Kashmir valley. The park not
only commensurate fully with the flora & fauna of the place but
also complements the natural scenic beauty of the place. The park
is spread over an area of 42 kanals, where different kinds of rides
have been installed for children over an area of just three Kanals.
The majority of area of the park has been developed as Landscape.
The arcade and restaurant have been constructed in such a manner
that they fully blend with the natural scenic beauty of the place.
The park also encompasses an artificial lake of about 15,000 square
feet area where the visitors enjoy swan boat rides. The main attraction
of the park, however, is a musical fountain which has been established
just at the arcade. A baby train is something that every child loves
to board and enjoy. The entire project was completed in a record
time of four months only.
The Bank developed another amusement park "Bagh-I-Wazir", Bun Bagh,
Anantnag, Kashmir. Different kinds of rides have been installed
in the park for children. In a short span of time, the park has
become a major tourist attraction in the region. The bank also has
plans to establish such types of leisure and pleasure destinations
in other tourist places of the state as a supplement to ecological/environmental
development.
The development of Rajinder Park at Ranbir Canal and a walk way
along the canal has delghited the people. In order to stop the wastage
of water, the Bank donated Rs.1.00 lakh for construction of service
reservoir at Spring for the people of Seer, Anantnag, Kashmir. Due
to the efforts of the Bank, more than 200 families were able to
get pure drinking water in the area. The Bank organized sanitation
and cleanliness drives in Srinagar and Jammu cities. Similar drive
was organized at Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS).
Name
Education
For All Programme
Objective
To promote education among the employees and the deprived sections
of the society.
In order to promote talent and creativity among the youth, the
Bank sponsors various such programmes where they are encouraged
to explore their talent and creativity. The Bank provides financial
assistance to the bright students belonging to poor families so
as to help them to complete their education. During the year, the
Bank has adopted number of students to bear their educational expenses.
The Bank also provides financial and other kinds of support to those
organizations that are involved in the process of promoting education
across the country. The Bank donates computers and other kinds of
equipments to schools and other educational institutions from time
to time. Recently, a poor student of Rajouri got admission in Government
Medical College Jammu. The Bank extended him financial help for
the purchase of books. Similar assistance was given to a poor student
to pursue his M.Sc Chemistry in Kashmir University. The Bank also
bear house rent, bus fare, examination fee and tuition fee of a
poor student pursuing studies in SKIMS Medical College. Similarly,
a student hailing from Rajouri pursuing his studies in Engineering
was provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs.13,000. The
bank has extended a number of scholarships to deserving Kashmir
University students.
The Bank provided books free of cost to the students of Government
Medical College, Srinagar, who had lost all their belongings including
books in a devastating fire that engulfed the College Hostel. The
bank has adopted nine orphan children from Shehjar Orphanage and
is bearing all expenses related to their studies. In this age of
Information Technology, the Bank is making efforts to take computer
education to far flung areas for poor students. The Bank has been
generous to donate computers to Apna Ghar orphanage at Beerwah (Budgam),
VAZR School at Kupwara, Law Department (Kashmir University) and
Sultan-ul-Arfeen Trust (Srinagar). A physically handicapped student
hailing from Anantnag was given a computer node by the Bank.
