A school bus was donated to Ramakrishna Math by the State Bank of India as part of its corporate social responsibility in Madurai on Saturday. The bus will be used for students of Saradha Vidyalaya, which is run by the Ramakrishna Math.
Pratip Chaudhuri, Chairman, SBI, formally handed over the school bus key to Swami Kamalatmananda of the math at a function held at the bank’s zonal office here. The school was started in 2000 and is having classes from kindergarten to the 5 standard with a total strength of 627 students.
According to bank officials, SBI has a comprehensive CSR policy approved by the Board and the focus areas are supporting education, entrepreneur development, healthcare, assistance to the poor and underprivileged, environmental protection, clean energy and lending a helping hand at the time of national calamities.
For the 2012-13 financial year, the bank earmarked Rs.117.07 crore for CSR activities which was one per cent of SBI’s previous year profit. The bank has extended financial assistance for the purchase of 300 ambulance vans for the needy and service organisations, 42,000 water purifiers and 1.4 lakh ceiling fans to 14,000 schools.
Under healthcare initiatives, the bank has extended assistance to the tune of Rs.14 crore to hospitals to purchase medical equipment and other items.
Funds are also donated to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund of various States.
A. Krishna Kumar, Managing Director at Corporate Centre in Mumbai, Varsha Purandare, Chief General Manager, and Sundar Rajan, Deputy General Manager, SBI, Madurai, were among those who were present.
