DIBRUGARH, Feb 12 — There are several industries in the twin districts of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. But whenever one needs a donation, the first name that comes into reckoning is Oil India Limited (OIL). None of the other industries, be it tea, fertilizer and others in the petroleum sector, are so deluged with donation demands. Such is the pressure on OIL that even the district administration in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh asks the company to cough out money for sundry reasons: install streetlights, build roads, beautification of some park, etc. Then there is the constant pressure for “complimentary advertisements” in souvenirs of all hues, constructing school and college buildings, naamghars. And now, the Government even wants the company to take up flood and erosion protection works !
Wisened by this slew of demands from all quarters — even Naga militants slapped a demand for money on the company’s staff in one of its drilling sites in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, but OIL refused to play ball — the company has set up a Social Obligations Programme, whereby funds are made available to worthy causes. In the coming weeks, OIL would be disbursing an amount of Rs 1.96 crore among 298 beneficiaries. OIL has thus become a “people’s company”, a sobriquet the company’s executives have learnt to love. OIL has put up a brave face by saying that this is a result of a genuine concern for the overall development of its operational areas. On the positive side, these investments have led to the development of remote villages, places where State Government officials prefer to avoid, even under the much touted raijor padulit raijor sarkar scheme of compiling the common man’s grievances.
OIL mooted the idea of a collective initiative for rural development way back in 1962. The idea emanated from the need for sustainable development and promote goodwill among villagers and the company. This initiative has resulted in the company looking after the welfare and development needs of more than 700 villages spread across Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Apart from spending Rs 1.96 crore in 2000-01 on social welfare activities, OIL during the same period has spent an additional Rs 1.05 crore on area development schemes. These expenditure relate to spending on educational institutions, road development, and health infrastructure.
Beneficiaries under the area development scheme projects can hope to receive additional funds in the next financial year too, as the scheme is intended as a long term programme. This amount of Rs 1.05 crore was spent on 12 projects, including five road projects. While money is spent on charities this way for direct welfare, OIL has been encouraging local entrepreneurs to develop quality products including supply of goods and services for the company’s own consumption. This effort on generating indirect employment has helped local youth of Assam in a big way.
Women’s welfare is an area where OIL lays great stress. The company has a scheme called Women in Public Sector (WIPS). Under this arrangement is made for various training programmes to enhance their personal growth and economic productivity. Help also comes by way of handicraft exhibitions organised by the company, where women artisans’ products are displayed and sold. This also provides the artisans with a platform to showcase their skills and do business.
Outside North East India too, OIL has been benevolent under its Social Obligations Programme. These include charities in Rajasthan and Orissa, where the company has business interests. In both the States, the company sank tubewells to draw potable water. Then, OIL spent on the development of slum children and a leprosy centre in Orissa. Other charitable works in the two States pertain to constructing bus stop shelters for passengers, installing solar streetlights, providing educational scholarships, promoting sports, encouraging entrepreneurship and spending on adult literacy projects.
For a company that has a revenue turnover of Rs 1976 crore (as per the audited figures for 2000-01 and a profit after tax of Rs 467.36 crore, the charities may amount to just a fraction of the profits. But the point to be noted here is that even such a fraction is grudgingly spent by the other more profit making entities. OIL does it with a smile. And hence the demand for more.