SBI gives bus for RLEK school

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 16

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the State Bank of India (SBI) today handed over the keys of a bus to a school run by Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK) for children of the nomadic Van Gujjar tribe.

Pallav Mohapatra, Chief General Manager, SBI Delhi circle, handed over the keys of the bus to RLEK Chairperson Padam Shree Avdhash Kaushal. Under the CSR initiative, the Bank also donated nine desktops for the schools run by RLEK. The RLEK is running 15 innovative schools for the children of Van Gujjar community, had freed bonded labourers, rescued women from red light areas in the districts of Dehradun, Tehri, Uttarkashi of Uttarakhand and Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

Later, addressing a group of the Van Gujjars and their children, Pallav Mohapatra asserted that the SBI fully realised its social responsibility and was always ready to join hands with organisations doing exemplary work. He said when people from foreign countries came to RLEK for capacity building of schoolteachers, it was also the responsibilities of IITs and institutions of higher education to pitch in for such causes. SBI General Manager BK Das said it was a great occasion for SBI to get associated with the noble cause of education. The SBI looked forward to further such associations.

Expressing gratitude, Kaushal presented a souvenir to Mohapatra. He said RLEK’s partnership with SBI was decades old and the Kendra heartily appreciated SBI’s gesture that will help children from the nomadic community in furthering their cause of education. M B Diwakar, Deputy General Manager, SBI, was also present on the occasion.