The four enterprises producing Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) in India—Chemplast Sanmar Ltd, Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd (GFL), Mafatlal Industries Ltd (MIL) and SRF Ltd (SRFL) signed the Ozone Layer Protection Voluntary Pledge in the presence of Dr Klaus Topfer, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and P V Jayakrishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), at a special ceremony held in New Delhi on 2nd May 2002.
P S Jayaraman, Managing Director and A Janakiraman, Chief Executive-Chlorochemicals, of Chemplast Sanmar attended the event, organised by MOEF, UNEP and the Refrigeration Gas Manufacturers Association (REGMA).
P S Jayaraman, Managing Director, Chemplast Sanmar, seen signing the pledge. Also in the picture are: Dr Klaus Topfer, Executive Director, UNEP, Ravi K Sinha, President, REGMA, and Ms Sushma Choudhary, Additional Secretary, MOEF.
While Jayaraman signed the pledge on behalf of Chemplast Sanmar, Ravi K Sinha, Managing Director, SRFL, V K Jain, Managing Director, GFL and D S Umalkar, Executive Director-Chemicals, MIL, were the other signatories.
The primary purpose of the pledge is to
1. mobilise voluntary corporate activities to support the implementation of the Montreal Protocol in the private sector.
2. support the building of corporate awareness on ozone depletion.
3. provide public recognition to industry leaders in ozone protection at the national level; encourage
the formation of linkages between companies to achieve sustainable development objectives.
4. identify innovative methods of promoting ozone protection activities outside of the Multilateral Fund.
5.promote corporate and business leadership in ozone protection.
Participants at the pledge ceremony: P S Jayaraman (second from right) and A Janakiraman (ninth from right).
Long service awards are a regular feature of the Sanmar group’s HR policy. Over the years, employees have taken pride in qualifying for these awards earned by those completing ten years, 20 years and 30 years of service. Such longevity in an organisation is a reflection of both the commitment of the employee and the work atmosphere of the company.
N Srinivasan who retired as Electrical Chargeman, Plant I, Mettur, on 21st June, 2001, stood out even among the longest serving employees. He actually completed 40 years of service with the Sanmar group. Srinivasan started his career as a cycle mechanic and worked as a casual labourer in TNEB, Mettur, before joining the Electrical Department of Plant I of The Mettur Chemical and Industrial Corporation (MCIC) on 6th June, 1961. Transferred in November 1964 to the Vedaranyam Salt Works as an attender, he later came back to Mettur, where he worked in Plant III and Plant I.
Starting as a helper in MCIC, Srinivasan obtained the ‘Electrical Wireman Competency Certificate’ from the Tamil Nadu Electrical Licensing Board in 1963, and served variously as Attender, Fuseman, and Electrician, finally retiring as Electrical Chargeman. He was a specialist in attending to work related to overhead line installations and was also an expert at correcting short circuit switch breakdowns. Vice President of the INTUC Union between 1996 and 2001, Srinivasan says he is indebted to the group for all that he has learnt. He is quick to appreciate the organisation’s efforts to motivate employees and its work ethic. Srinivasan was an honest, disciplined employee of the group. In 1967-68 while he was at the Vedaranyam Salt Works, he was acclaimed for detecting a theft at the works. Even after his retirement, he attended to an electrical inspection at the pump house. Srinivasan’s father Nanjakutti Gounder was an employee of Mettur Beardsell Limited. Happily married to Sivakami since 1971, Srinivasan has a son and two daughters. The daughters are married and his son is doing his Masters in computers.
N Srinivasan who retired from service after four
decades with the group, seen receiving the Long
Service Award from P S Jayaraman.