L&T has set aside an outlay of over INR5bn (£54m) per month to support about 160,000 contract workers by continuing to pay their wages during the ongoing lockdown and providing them with food and basic amenities at labour camps. It said that it is committed to maintaining the Covid-19 prevention and containment protocols.
It has said that it is committed to participate in corporate India’s response to Covid-19 through funds, community welfare plans and through leveraging its expertise to offer assistance. The company is donating INR1.5bn (£16m) to the PM-Cares fund, a welfare fund set up last week to gather together ‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR) payments from companies and donations from individuals. Companies are expected to donate at least 2% of profit, though are encouraged to give more.
Group chairman AM Naik said: “L&T has always stood by the nation in its hour of need. We are helping India’s fight against Covid-19 by way of immediate funding, and through a range of welfare initiatives including converting our training schools into isolation centres. We are also leveraging our engineering and construction expertise to help the authorities deal with the crisis.”
L&T said that it is considering transforming all company-owned training centres and other select establishments into isolation wards. It is exploring the scope for supplying critical healthcare equipment to hospitals engaged intreating COVID-19 patients. The company has also committed to offer use of its community health and medical centres and for its ambulances to be used to transport patients hospital.
The company added that other measures it is undertaking in the fight against Covid-19 include:
- remitting wages in time manner to workmen and subcontractors despite the lockdown
- extra vigilance across labour camps attached to project sites to ensure that proper hygiene, catering, waste management, cleanliness and preventive measures including social distancing are being rigorously maintained;
- round-the-clock availability of ambulances, doctors and other medical facilities for medical assistance to workmen and employees across all locations;
- use of a mobile app to send SMS alerts to workmen and employees on the nature of Covid-19, its symptoms and testing facilities available locally.
- relaying various health advisories and related messaging to its 120,000 employees, daily;
- closure of all offices and other establishments as per the directives of Government of India and various state governments and local authorities. Employees are encouraged to work from home.
- formation of COVID-19 Response Teams (CRT) across businesses to take timely action and decision Response Team (DRT) at the corporate level to keep a constant vigil on the evolving situation and take necessary actions.
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