annual-report-FY2020

216 COMPANY OVERVIEW BOARD’S REPORT MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS CORPORATE GOVERNANCE BUSINESS RESPONSIBILITY REPORT STANDALONE ACCOUNTS CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNTS by 262% over the baseline. 2) An average percentage increase of income from agriculture by 150% over the baseline and increase in crop productivity of major crops by 30%. 3) Average increase of ground water table by 1.8 m. All three programs follow the ‘Ridge to Valley’ watershed treatment model. A Watershed plan is created for each village based on a thorough examination of the village geography. Factors considered in the situational analysis include topography, existing watershed structures, rain water drainage routes, existing storage tanks, irrigation channels, etc. Each village gets a combination of watershed structures that work in unison to achieve the final overall output. Along with increasing water availability, simultaneous work on implementing ‘best in class farming package of practices’ is also done. Handholding of farmers during the entire crop cycle results in sustainable benefits of increased crop production and enhanced income. Self Help Groups (SHGs) for livelihood generation are also formed in close co-ordination with the village councils resulting in generation of additional income avenues. The Company has entered into a ‘Agroforestry Livelihood Generation Programme’ at Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh. The Agroforestry project is aimed at regenerating the lost green cover through plantation of indigenous species and at the same time also generating livelihood opportunities for the Adivasi tribal population by planting fruit and coffee saplings in the valley. The programme is being implemented in partnership with the NGO partner, Naandi Foundation. Since the inception of the project in 2010 at Araku Valley, 10.78 million trees have been planted, reaching out to nearly 25000 families in the region, resulting in considerable ecological, environmental and livelihood benefits for the community. The project has both transformed the landscape and transitioned the lifestyle of the tribal farmers at Araku. The external audits of the plantations were conducted in 2019 by UNIQUE Forestry and Land Use GmbH and the survival rate of the plantations stood at 96%. Further details of community development initiatives are given in Principle 8. Principle 5: Businesses should respect and promote human rights 1. Does the policy of the company on human rights cover only the company or extend to the Group/ Joint Ventures/Suppliers/Contractors/NGOs/Others? The Business Responsibility Policy covers the aspects on Human Rights for the Company. Human Rights issues are a part of the supplier selection process and are also included in the contracts drawn up with them. The Company has put in place a Whistleblower Helpline managed by an external agency to ensure that any violations to its Code of Conduct (including violation of Human rights) are addressed objectively. Besides this, through various awareness sessions, various stake holders like contractors, security personnel, Associates are sensitised and this helps to promote adherence on Human Rights aspects. 2. How many stakeholder complaints have been received in the past financial year and what percent was satisfactorily resolved by the management? 17 complaints have been received through the Whistleblower Helpline out of which 10 complaints has been investigated and resolved and 7 complaints are pending. 3 complaints were received by the Chairman of the Audit Committee out of which 2 complaints have been investigated and resolved and 1 complaint is pending. There is an active and a well-defined four step Grievance Redressal Machinery available at each plant for workmen through which all types of grievances are redressed. Additionally, Employee Satisfaction Survey for workmen is periodically carried out and all low scoring responses are discussed in Focused Group Meetings and duly resolved. Although there is no process to separately maintain records for grievances related to Human Rights, the above stated mechanism adequately addresses this issue. There is a mechanism for all employees of Automotive and Farm Sectors to voice their concerns to the Sector President through a ‘Reach-out’ mailbox which is addressed with confidentiality. Besides, in order to address the Human Rights violation in specific for blue collared workmen (Permanent & Flexible workforce), a Grievance Register has been kept at Time Office to raise concerns. However, no complaints have been received or reported for the reporting year.