State Bank of India has launched its integrated CSR initiative SBI GRAM SEVA. SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya launched this initiative under SBI Foundation that aims to reach to maximum of 100 Gram Panchayats covering approximately 500 villages across India by 2021.
Under the new CSR initiative, SBI aims to adopt at least 500 villages over the next three years. The initiative is launched by SBI Foundation with the aim to develop villages in collaboration with the Gram Panchayat.
“This is a three year project, wherein SBI Foundation will collaborate with local NGOs and government (Gram panchayat) and bridge the gap between the facilities and services provided by the government and the basic requirements of the locals in the villages,” said M K Rekha, managing director of SBI Foundation.
The main area covered would include health, education, environment, women empowerment, livelihood, skill development and developing infrastructure.
“The reason why we undertook this initiative through the foundation is three fold. We want to ensure that it is holistic, sustainable and we do it in collaboration,” said SBI Chairman, Arundhati Bhattacharya.
The aim of the project is to link the specific government schemes to the individual in the villages.
“Earlier also we had done adoption of villages but what happens is certain portion of the job gets done – digitisation, solar lights, repair of tanks but in few years things would slip back. Nowhere have we taken a holistic view where the village starts ticking in terms of development index,” she added.
