SECL's corporate social responsibility scheme listed on DBT Portal

South Eastern Coalfields (SECL), a Chhattisgarh-based subsidiary of Coal India, has achieved a significant milestone, with its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative becoming the first coal public sector undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Coal to be listed on the direct benefit transfer (DBT) portal of the Government of India.

 

The DBT initiative aims to reform the delivery of benefits and subsidies by directly transferring funds to beneficiaries’ bank accounts, minimising leakages, and ensuring effective utilisation of resources. At present, the DBT portal has nearly 325 schemes from 55 ministries, covering diverse sectors such as health, education, and social welfare.

 

Launched in 2023, ‘SECL Ke Sushrut’ is a flagship educational initiative under SECL’s CSR programmes, designed to provide free medical coaching to 40 students preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). In its first batch, 39 out of 40 students successfully qualified for NEET 2024. The scheme supports meritorious and underprivileged students from the coal belt regions of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

 

The company approved ₹170 crore for various CSR projects in FY25, focusing on boosting health, education, and skill development infrastructure in the coalfield regions. The allocation surpasses SECL’s statutory CSR Budget of ₹99.76 crore for FY25. The projects will be implemented over the next 2-3 years according to respective agreements, and memorandum of understandings worth ₹77 crore were already signed in 2025.