The new international poverty line of $1.25 purchasing power parity per day has been arrived at as “the average poverty line found in the poorest 10-20 countries.”According to this report 4 out of 10 Indians live below world poverty line. Although India has come down from around 60% in 1981 to 51%by 1990 or 8.5% points over nine years. Between 1990 and 2005, it declined to 41.6%,a drop of 9.7% point over 15 years. This is a much slower rate of decline.

The estimate states that “India has maintained even progress against poverty rate declining at a little under one percentage point per year.”

The note points out that while India had 421 million below the $1.25 –a-day mark in 1981,that number had gone up not down to 456 million by 2005.Thus, while there has been a decline in the poverty ratio, the ranks of the poor are still swelling.

The new estimate shows that even in China, 16% people are below poverty line, i.e. 208 million people are below poverty line rather than 103 million estimated earlier. However it shows a sharp decline from the 730 million (84%) that were poor in that country in 1981.

The Banks also makes the point that while raising people above the poverty line is relatively achievable task-It believes poverty level in 1990 can be halved by 2015-it is proving very difficult to raise them above the $2 per day mark. The number of those in the developing world below this level has in fact gone up marginally from 2.5 billion to 2.6 billion since 1981.

In Chhattisgarh state now has 45% of its population below poverty line (BPL) with a per capita income of Rs. 19000 per annum. In Chhattisgarh 40% land is covered with forest. In Surguja and Bastar districts particularly forest based activities such as collection of saal seeds, tendu leaves, mahua etc. are most important. Imli alone accounts for a business turnover between Rs.75 and 100 crs. A large no of herbal and medicinal plants and minor forest products all of which grow naturally in the forest of Chhattisgarh without application of fertilizer of worth of Rs.600 crores annually.

The poverty conundrum is, thus a great challenge for India to sustaining growth. Challenges of such magnitude cannot be addressed by any solitary section of the society. It is obvious that innovative public-private-people partnerships will have to be forged to make a meaningful difference in respect of this larger issues.Corporates are positioned in the frontline of engagement with the civil society and uniquely placed to play a constructive role in this process. Coalmines is the most prominent industry in Chhattisgarh apart from NTPC, Railways,Sterlite etc. Here, I find SECL (South Eastern Coalfields Limited, a Mini Ratna Company)playing an important role in terms of employment generation ,economic infrastructure development and in generation of revenue for the State and Central Government.

SECL is the largest coal producing Company in the country. It is one of the eight subsidiaries of Coal India Limited.(A Govt. of India Undertaking under the Ministry of Coal).SECL,Coal India’s Premier Coal Company is operating its coal mines (around60%) in Chhattisgarh State, Which is also geographically located at the heart of the country. Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh is inhibited by simple minded and hard working tribal with a rich cultural heritage. Chhattisgarh is well known as rice bowl of India, side by side it is the mineral bowl too.Coal is the prime mineral resource, which is being exploited commercially for about a century.

Ever since its formation in 1986-87, SECL has always exceeded in physical and economic targets. In the year 1992-93 SECL was bifurcated and its two mine areas located in Orissa were transferred.After bifurcation there was 92 mines in its areas located in 3 districts of Madhya Pradesh named Shahdol,Umaria,Anuppur and 5 districts of Chhattisgarh such as Korba,Surguja,Raigarh and Bilaspur. At present there are 13 areas and 90 mines. Out of these 54 mines are located in Chhattisgarh and 36 mines in Madhya Pradesh. SECL is marching ahead to exeed its physical and economical targets. Company has produced 2.5% more than the targeted and 6% more over the last year’s production.Due to these coal mines in these region, rail connections and power supply lines,road and telecommunications have expanded over the past decades . A large number of power houses and other ancillary industries have come up. The coal based industries have in turn generated multiplier effect in the economy of Chhattisgarh and M.P. and the region has become the most important centre of Industrial economy of Chhattisgarh and M.P.

The SECL family consists of 82,692 employees who are predominantly locals. The company is working on the concept of human touch, human behaviours and human values for all walks of life. It believes that adoption of this ethics will certainly boost up the employees to work hard. The success of company is largely due to adopting human engineering.

SECL is providing jobs and many other facilities to the land ousters’, and rehabilitating them with the objective of raising their living standard Since its establishment as a new coal company, it has taken up many welfare activities for its employees which in turn facilitates the landoutsers.The total manpower in SECL as on 01.04 2008 is 82782.The following table shows the real picture of the employment strategy of SECL.

MANPOWER DESCRIPTION OF LAND OUTSEES SINCE 01.04.1986 TO 01.04.2008
SL.NO	NAME OF AREAS	EMPLOYMENT PROVIDED
1.	KORBA	1019
2.	KUSMUNDA	1884
3.	GEVRA	2019
4.	DIPKA	1453
5.	RAIGARH	120
6.	CHIRIMIRI	33
7.	BAIKUNTHPUR	296
8.	BHATGAON	1637
9.	BISRAMPUR	2018
TOTAL (C.G.)		10479
10.	HASDEO	710
11.	JAMUNA-KOTMA	645
12.	SOHAGPUR	91
13.	JOHILA	336
TOTAL(M.P.)		1728
OVERALL TOTAL		12261

Before nationlisation-1603

Grand total-13864

SECL provides employment only to male members of the landoutsees.

MANPOWER DISTRIBUTION AS ON 01.04.2008

Class	Percentage
OTHER BACKWARD CLASS	18.54%
SCHEDULE CASTE	20.9%
SCHEDULE TRIBE	23.01
OTHERS	37.55%

SECL extends various welfare activities to its employees such as civil related jobs, medical facilities, education, sports and recreation, coal social security etc.

SECL expended Rs.141.72 crs in 2006 -07 and 172.99 crs. In 2007-08.

WELFARE EXPENDITURE BY SECL

PARTICULAR	2006-2007	2007-2008
MEDICAL	50.18	54.48
EDUCATION	09.40	12.32
COMMUNITY DEV.	07.46	08.85
TOWNSHIP REPAIRS-	49.40	70.61
(WATER SUPPLY,ROAD, BUILDING,ETC.)
SPORTS,GAMES,CULTURAL	01.15	01.15
OTHER WELFARE	24.13	25.23
TOTAL	141.72	172.99

WELFARE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMPANY CIVIL RELATED JOB.

· Drinking water for all employees.

· Provision for Children Park in each area.

· Establishment of library in each area.

· All other facilities related to residency.

· Provision of AC canteen in each area.

MEDICAL

· Empanelment of best specialized hospitals in the country.

· Renovation of hospitals.

· SECL has got 47 dispensory, 17 hospitals and 952 beds.

· Its bed employee ratio is 1:87.

· Mobile Dispensary 03.

· Ambulance 123.

Education:

· Establishing renowned educational institutions in all the areas for better Education.

· Scholarship to the meritorious wards of employees.

· Association of whole family in the welfare activities by awarding /rewarding talented children for competing in IIT, IIM and professional education.

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

Fully financed by SECL.

DAV Schools: 08

Central Schools: 07

Ramkrishna Vivekananda Vidyapith: 01

Other Educational institution Around Coalfields.

Primary Schools:

Middle Schools: 242(all total)

High Schools:

School Buses: 143

SECL has also opening an engineering college with collaboration with the

State Govt.

SPORTS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

· SECL provides play ground, stadium, clubs, community hall, gymanasiumetc. In all areas.

· National and International tournaments.

· Identifying the children who can excel at state and National level.

· Organising sports and games and cultural activitiesfor the employees.

· Extending medical facilities to villagers, deprived sections and PAP.

· Construction of roads.

Aforestration along national highway.

· Construction of bridge, culverts, community hall etc. basic infrastructure of state.

Development of health centre.

· Organizing Community welfare camps in association with Mahila Mandal, SECL and NGOS.

· Extending financial assistance to NGOS.

DESCRIPTION OF (MEDICAL) CAMPS DURING 2007-08

Description	Camp Held	Beneficiaries
Eye Camp	20	2572
Family Planning Camp	22	2820
Immunization	208	14914
Diagnostic Camps	41	12253
Handicapped Camps	01	1052
Other Camps	15	4160

Various awareness programmes organized by areas viz. HIV AIDS programme,De –Addiction Days,Pulse polio programme, Anti Leprosy Day, World Health Day, World Population Day, Breast Feeding Day, Balsuraksha Pakhwada, Healthy Baby Show.

SECL has undertaken large scale environmental social forestry and plantation in wide areas.The company has reclaimed thousands of hectares of mine out, backfilled area and afforestation.SECL also promotes plantation of medicinal plants, which is a specialty of Chhattisgarh.

This paper finds out that SECL while starting in 1987 had 28 ancillary industries, now the number has increased to 62 units.

In this way we can see and analyse that SECL is an important mode of infrastructure development, employment generation, ecnomic infrastructure development and in generation of revenue for The State and Central Govt.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS:

Country like India, where 42% of the total population are below poverty line (BPL), according to recent World Bank Report,it is quite applicable that Corporates like SECL is contributing towards the people of Chhattisgarh through different govt schemes and its own welfare programmes. In Chhattisgarh itself 45% people are below poverty line (BPL).

Ajit Ranade, Chief economist at the Aditya Birla group, points out that, the Bank agrees that the correct measure for poverty for India and China is who account for 37% of the world populace is adollar a day. Not 1.25 dollar.

Bibek Debroy, economist and professor at the centre for policy Research who finds the entire World Bank exercise curious says “If one does not compare apples with oranges, no one can deny that global poverty has dropped dramatically because of India and China.” Perhaps, the speed is slower than required. India, growing at 9%, creates 12 million jobs and the answer clearly is high growth to deliver employment and incomes but that calls for sustained reforms.

A new Asian Development Bank report on estimating the number of poor in 2020 says poverty reduction can differ by atleast 7% depending on policies. Simply pro-poor policies could lift 126 million Indians out of poverty while pro-rich policies only 28 million by 2020. Indeed, India spends nearly Rs.90, 000 crore on poverty alleviation- if the money spent on subsidies is added, the figure would be threefold. The expenditure is more than ever before but the money clearly does not reach the intended.

Next on the agenda should be making the 14-million youth pouring into the job market employable through nation-wide skills set training mission. The creation of jobs and incomes would then not only fuel consumption but also revenue growth to fund social security schemes.

As the public sector industries are contributing towards the eradication of poverty by implementing various Govt.Schemes and policies, the giant private sector industries also should also contribute in the same way. This can eradicate poverty to some extent.

SUGGESTIONS:

As it is seen that, SECL provides employment to the male members of the landoutsees only. My suggestion is that, it should be revised and female members should also be considered for employment if there is no male member in the family.

Secondly, the ancillary industries should also provide employment and other facilities to the landoutsees this can again add to poverty alleviation in Chhattisgarh.

REFERENCES:

1. Indian Economics:Agarwal M.L

2. BalyaneyThomas-Welfare in Industry- The Coxto Publishing Company Ltd.,London

3. Indian Economics:Rudradutta andSundaram

MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS:

1. India Today-August 25^th,2008,pg26,27

2. India Today-September8,2008,pg34,36

3. Times of India-28^th August2008.

4. Nav Bharat-29^th August2008.

5. Welfare Board Meeting Report-29^th July 2008 at H.Q.,SECL

6. South Eastern Coalfields Limited- A Profile-2007-2008

WEBSITE:

Frontline- Vol.23, Issue -21, Oct 21-Nov3, 2006 Special features Chhattisgarh-Small steps, big goal, Sudhir Shankar Chattopadhyay.

Received on 23.01.2011

Accepted on 27.01.2011