A Cell under the charge of a Liaison Officer functions for monitoring implementation of Government policy relating to reservations for the representation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes in the Department of Steel, the attached and subordinate offices and the Public Sector Undertakings under its administrative control. Periodic reviews and annual reports received from the Public Sector Undertakings regarding recruitment/promotion of SCs/STs/OBCs against the vacancies reserved for them are scrutinished in the Cell and appropriate instructions issued to the PSUs and attached office as and when necessary.

The actual record of PSUs in respect of representation of SCs/STs/OBCs during 1998-99 is indicated below:

Recruitment for non0-executive cadre in SAIL is done through Employment Exchange and reservation for weaker sections is provided as per the directives of the Government.

Recruitment for executives cadre/direct recruitment is done on an All India basis through open competition and/or campus selection in the executive grade of MT (Tech.), MT(Admn) and JM(F&A). For the weakersections, relaxation in the prescribed standards including relaxation in the age limit are provided.

The candidates belonging to weaker sections who do not qualify in the written test are selected for pre-employment training on a fixed monthly stipend. On completion of the training, they are given regular employment in the executive cadre of MT(T)/MT(A)/JM(F&A).

Percentage of SC/ST employees in SAIL (excluding subsidiaries), total recruitment and total promotions during the year 1997 are as under:

 Scholarship for undergraduate engineering students:

SAIL has introduced scholarships for the weaker sections of the society. The brief of which are as under: 

• Eligibility: Annual income from all sources of the parent/guardian of the student should not exceed Rs.15,000/-.
• Amount of Scholarship is @ Rs.450 p.m.
• No. of Scholarships provided are : 14.

 Besides, scholarships to the blind, deaf and dumb, orthopedically handicapped and disabled children of employees are extended in the SAIL plants/units.

 Peripheral Development

During the year 1996-97 and 1997-98, approximately 47 million and 40 million respectively were spent on various peripheral activities. The following welfare activities are in vogue in SAIL plants/units. 

• Electricity, water, housing etc., free of charges
• Free education facility, including adult education, periodical literacy programme, film show etc.
• Free medical facility -mobile dispensary, regular eye camps, family planning camps for weaker sections
• Well-equipped big play-grounds promoting sports activities
• Employment generation schemes- through various construction & developmental activities etc.

During 1997-98, land for different sports and cultural activities, steel for building of school, and transfer of land for Jhuggi dwellers were given by SAIL as part of company's policy/commitment towards social development and upliftment of weaker sections of society.

• Presidential Directives in respect of reservations for Scs/STs/OBCs in recruitment and promotions etc. are strictly followed.
• Reservations in allotment of houses (10% for A&B types and 5% for C&D types) have been provided and implemented for SC/ST employees.
• A Sports and Cultural Festival was organised during the month of April, 1998 at Community Welfare Centre, Ukkunagaram in connection with Dr. BR. Ambedkar Jayanthi celebrations - 1998. Painting & Essay writing competitions were also conducted for the school children during the celebrations.
• In addition to the above, RINL/VSP has introduced a Scholarship Scheme exclusively for the children of SC/ST employees under which two scholarships of Rs.250/- (Rupees Two Hundred and Fifty only) per month and one more scholarship of Rs.150/-(Rupees One Hundred and Fifty only) per month are awarded each year. RINL has also launched a Merit Cash Award Scheme for the students of SC/ST Communities under which a First Merit Award of Rs.500/- (Rupees Five Hundred only) are given to students who pass Tenth Class every year from each of the schools in the Company's Township.

Training programmes etc. conducted during the period is as under:

Comprehensive Managerial Programme

HRD Training Programme 

Development Programmes conducted

Freshers inducted through Training Scheme

Statistical information regarding representations of SC/ST/OBC/Women/Physically Handicapped/Ex-Serviceman is as under:

Note: Some of the posts were notified in the year 1997, but filled in the year 1998 and the recruitment for some of the posts notified recently is still under process.

NATIONAL MINERAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LIMITED (NMDC)

Manpower

The total number of regular employees in NMDC as on 30.9.98 was 6691 out of which 1073 persons belong to Scheduled Castes (16.03%),1187 Scheduled Tribes (17.74%), 267 OBCs (4%) and 389 women (5.81%).

Other Welfare Measures

The Corporation gives facilities for promotion of education among the children of SCs/STs by offering scholarships in Local Kendriya Vidyalayas and by providing free education facilities to children of tribals who seek admission in project schools. A school exclusively for children of tribals is being run by the Corporation at the Bailadi- la-5 Project. NMDC has helped State Government for running of ITI at Bhansi exclu- sively for Tribal youths, by providing the entire infrastructural facilities for running this ITI. The local people are given training at the trining institutes run by NMDC through the Apprenticeship scheme. All tribals residing in the project area are offered free medical facilities at the NMDC project hospitals. Members of Scheduled Tribe communities avail of the service of the Project Cooperative Societies, even if they are not employees of the Corporation.

At Bailadila Projects, NMDC has constructed two community centres. Weekly film shows and other entertainment are provided at these centres. A weekly market (Haat) is being organised in Kirandul and Bacheli where the Adivasis get an opportunity to sell their products directly to consumers. NMDC also had been helping the villages around the Projects by providing hand pumps, digging wells for providing drinking water, mobile dispensary facilities, construction of approach roads to their villages etc.

As part of peripheral development programme, skill development programme for ST candidates of nearby villages adjoined Bld-14 and Bld-5 projects at the training institute, Kirandul were continued with good response from Adivasis.

Training Programmes

In the training programmes conducted during the year 1998-99 (Upto Sept.98), SC/ST/OBC/Physically Handicapped and Ex-servicemen were also covered. The details are given in the following Table:

The total number of employees in KIOCL as on 30/9/98 was 2,457 out of which 356 persons belong to SC (14.48%), 90 persons belong to ST (3.66%) and 15 persons belong to OBC (0.6%), moreover there are 154 women (6.26%), 29 Physically Handicapped (1.18%) and 124 Ex-servicemen (5.04%).

• The Company has set up full fledged facilities at Kudremukh and Mangalore establishments by establishing modern township, hospital, recreation facilities etc., 10% type "A" & "B" quateres and 5% "C" & "D" quarters are reserved for SC/ST employees.
• 8 number of Merit-cum-Means and Merit Scholarships are reserved for children of SC/ST employees for whom the qualifying standard of First Class or 60% whichever is higher is relaxable to 50% in the agreegate.

 Periodic meetings with SC/ST Representatives

SC/St Cell Liaison Officer meets the SC/ST Welfare Association periodically at Kudremukh, Mangalore and Bangalore. The Management representatives also meet the Welfare Association once in a quarter besides the CMD meeting them one in a xis months. The grievances of SC/ST employees are discussed and appropriate action in taken to redress their grievances.

Further, the Management has enhanced the fund for celebration of Dr. Ambedkar's Jayanthi at Kudremukh and Mangalore from existing Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 15,000/- and Rs. 5,000/- to Rs. 10,000/- respectively.

 Training Programme:

In the training programme organised at periodic intervals, SC/ST/OBC are also nominated alongwith others. Training programmes have been arranged especially for "D"group employees of SC/ST for improving their career growth.

In addition to the above, Liaison Officer for SC/ST, representatives of SC/St from "A" & "B" group were sent to participate in "New Reservation Policy Programme" conducted by (CENTAD) Centre for Training a Development at various places like Delhi, Mysore and Bangalore. Management of KIOCL invited Shri CC Unnikrishnan, Under Secretary to Government of India (DPE) to conduct a seminar on "New Reservation Policy" and the maintenance of the cadre/post based Roster at Mangalore, Bangalore and Kudremukh. The representatives of Sc/St Association and Officers belongs to SC/St alongwith other officers were also nominated to participate the seminars.

SC/ST/OBC candidates are nominated alongwith other gneral candidates to undergo one week computer training programme to learn latest packages like MS Office, Windows-95, Word, Excel, Power Point, Internet etc., at Bangalore.

MANGANESE ORE (INDIA ) LIMITED (MOIL)

MOIL is a Labour Intencive Organisation with over 8,000 employees on its rolls. About 76% of the total strength belongs to SC/ST/OBC. MOIL has undertaken several measures for the Welfare of the Weaker Sections. Some of them are as listed below:

• Adoption of Tribal Village.
• Training in Sericulture for Economic Development.
• Help to Schools surrounding mines.
• Organising Eye Camps/Child Welfare Camps.
• Grant of subsidy to Gram Panchayat for Water supply Scheme.
• Giving financial Assistance to Social Institutions who are working for the rehabilitation of aged and handicapped persons.
• Donated tricycles to handicapped persons. Provided Sewing Machines for development of the Tribal Women.

MOIL constantly upgrade the various welfare measures provided to the Weaker Sections, with a view to improve the quality of life.

Manpower as on 31/10/98 out of a total manpower of 8,073. 1,475 employees belongs to SC category (18.27%), 2,045 employees belong to ST category (25.33%), 2,616 employees belong to OBC category (32.40%), 1,937 employees belong to others (24%). Moreover there are 1,023 Women employees (12.67%), 19 Physically Handicapped empoyees (0.24%) and 152 Ex-servicemen employees (1.88%). The Group-wise percentage of SC/ST and OBC employees are as follows:

MSTC LIMITED

The Presidential Directives issued from time to time pertaining to policies and producers of the Government in regard to reservation, relaxation, concession, etc. for the SC/ST/OBC candidates have been kept in view while taking action/decision on any matter laid down therein.

In order to improve the efficiency of the employees belonging to the reserved categories and to prepare them to take up higher positions in the future, special attention was paid to their training and development in their respective fields of function. Apart from this, all Welfare facilities provided to other employees of the Company were also extended to them.

In addition, all possible cooperation and assistance was provided to the MSTC SC/ST Employees' council, which function primarily to safeguard the interest of the interest of the reserved section of employees of the Company.

FERRO SCRAP NIGAM LIMITE(FSNL)

As on October, 1998, out of total manpower of 1346 persons, 209 belong to SC category (15.52%), 148 belong to ST Category (10.99%) and 97 belong to OBC Category (7.20%). Apart from this, there are 19 Women employees (1.41%), 2 Physically handicapped (0.14%) and 60 Ex-Servicemen (4.45%).

While recruitment, apart from the Age relaxation in the prescribed age limit, such categories of employees are also exempted from submitting required Postal orders along with the application for recruitment.

No restrictions in forwarding of application for outside employment are applicable for such categories of employees, whereas, in the case of General candidates, such applications are considered only once in a Calender year, apart from other restrictions.

Under the Scheme "Upliftment of Weaker Section", text boiks/note books were distributed to the first 3 male & female meritorious students of Standard IX,X & XII one each from SC/ST/OBC categories, of Government Higher Secondary School in a nearby village viz., Dundera (Photograph enclosed). This scheme has been implemented by FSNL from the current academic session of 1998-99.

During the year 1998-99, training has so far been imparted to 10 SCs, 8 STs and 15 OBC employees of the Company.

SPONGE IRON INDIA LIMITED (SIIL)

In the matter of recruitment and promotions to various posts, SC/ST candidates are being given the benefits as per the presidential Directives.

A small cell headed by the Company's Chief Medical Officer looks after the peripheral developmental activities in the nearby areas. Recognising its social responsibilities, the Company undertakes programmes from time to time, which are for the benefit of the people in the local areas.

SIIL being situated predominatly in a Tribal area and in view of dearth of qualified SC/ST candidates, freshers from the Institute are being recruited in different disciplines and in order to bring them to the required standards, on-th-job training is being given to the SC/ST/OBC employees so as to enable them to acquire skill for possible absorption in regular posts after the training. Besides this, apprenticeship training is also being imparted to the St candidates being sponsored by Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA), bhadrachalam as a part of Special Drive, which is in addition to the candidates sponsored by local I.T.I. No. of persons sent for training is 7.

Statistical information regarding representation of SC/ST/OBC/Women/Physically Handicapped/Ex-Servicemen as on 30/10/98 (1-1-98 to 30/10/98): 

METALLURGICAL & ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS (INDIA) LIMITED (MECON)

BHARAT REFRACTORIES LIMITED (BRL)

• Free vaccination facilities are provided to the children of local inhabitants who mostly belong to category of SC/St/OBC as the units are located in tribal belts of Chhotanagpur, Bihar and Chhatisgarh region of Madhya Pradesh.
• Different plants of the company have taken up construction of wells for supply of drinking water for nearby villagers.
• A Health Centre has been constructed by Bhandaridah Refractories Plan and handed over to Government of Bihar. SC/ST/OBC people are largely benefited as they constitute 70 to 80% of the local population.
• Electricity transformer has been provided by IFICO Refractories Plant for extending power supply to the nearby village.

Regular training programme are being conducted with the co-operation of Central Board for Workers Education and certain other agencies in which adequate representation for SC/ST/OBC is given.

Note: Recruitment made on compassionate ground as per the tripartite agreement with the operative union of the Company.