Thirty-four employees of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) have won the Prime MinisterÔÇÖs Shram Awards for the year 2009 announced this week. The award winners from SAIL constitute three-fourths of the total 45 awardees from PSUs. With this, SAIL employees have broken their own record of bagging 24 of the 35 Shram awards given to PSU employees for the year 2008 last year. Even earlier, in the joint award ceremony for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007, 56 out of 179 awardees who won the Prime MinisterÔÇÖs Shram Awards were from SAIL.
Of the SAIL awardees announced this year, 7 employees of Rourkela Steel Plant have won the Shram Bhushan, 6 others from the same plant bagged Shram Virs along with one employee from Salem Steel Plant, and 20 employees (10 from Bhilai Steel Plant and 5 each from Rourkela and Durgapur Steel Plants) won the Shram Shree/Devi awards. Savings to the tune of more than Rs. 250 crore have been made through the innovative projects implemented by these employees during the assessment period. SAIL Chairman Mr. C.S. Verma termed it as ÔÇ£a victory for the innovative spirit, unflinching commitment and proven technical competence of SAIL employeesÔÇØ.
Constituted by the Government of India, the Shram awards are given in recognition of distinguished performance, innovative abilities, outstanding contribution in the field of productivity and exhibition of exceptional courage and presence of mind.