50% of total awards go to SAIL Rs. 140 crore recurring annual savings from award winning projects
"It is a matter of pride for all of us that 73 out of 117 awardees, who have won the Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar (VRP) are from Steel Authority of India Limited," stated SAIL Chairman Mr C.S. Verma at a felicitation ceremony for VRP awardees organised at SCOPE Complex here today. Continuing with its glorious tradition of previous years, SAIL bagged 50% of the total 28 VRP awards for the performance year 2009, which were conferred by Union Minister of Labour and Employment Shri Mallikarjun Kharge at a glittering ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan yesterday. Estimated annual savings resulting from implementation of works mentioned in SAIL's award winning projects are over Rs. 140 crore on a recurring basis and Rs. 160 crore on a one-time basis.
The 14 awards won by SAIL went to 73 employees from SAIL's five plants - Bokaro Steel Plant won 5 awards involving 27 employees, Bhilai Steel Plant won 4 involving 21 employees, Rourkela Steel Plant won 3 involving 18 employees, and Durgapur and Salem Steel Plants bagged 1 award each, involving 5 and 2 employees, respectively.
Instituted by the Government of India in 1965, the Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar is a national award given every year by the Ministry of Labour in association with the Directorate General, Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes to workers of industrial undertakings in recognition of their outstanding suggestions leading to cost reduction, improvement in quality, productivity and working conditions such as safety, health and environment conservation in their organisations.
SAIL employees won the VRP in three different categories - 1 in class 'A', 5 in class 'B' and 8 in class 'C'. The winners under these classes received cash prizes of Rs. 75,000, Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 25,000, respectively, along with certificates of merit.
SAIL Chairman Mr. C.S. Verma addressing the awardees at Scope Complex, New Delhi
