View of TRL Plant at Belpahar

Tata Refractories Limited (TRL) is the largest refractories manufacturing company in India. It was promoted by Tata Steel and Didier Werke, Germany and began production in 1958. Located at Belpahar in the Harsuguda district of Orissa. TRL is a modern refractories production facility with an installed capacity of 1,23,000 tpa. Besides the production units. TRL also has a modern research centre and a township with all welfare facilities like hospital, school, clubs, etc. The initial capital investments in TRL was Rs. 4 crores which slowly increased to a figure as high as Rs. 139 crores in 1999-2000. The turnover of the Company in the same year was Rs. 262 crores with a total manpower strength of 1990. The ripple effect of TRL has also been significant in the entire Belpahar area. In addition to the statutory requirements for providing welfare amenities to the employees such as canteen, drinking water, creche restroom, etc. The Company also has:

• Two recreation clubs.

• Four schools for the children of the employees and the local residents.

• A 25 bed hospital for the employees, their dependents and the local population.

• A beautiful park inside the township.

• Family benefits scheme for the employees.

• Holiday home facility at Puri.

Dr. Harekrishna Mahtab speaking at the inaugural function of the Belpahar Refractories Plant in 1960

Social welfare activities undertaken by the Company have included:

• Lift irrigation points in the nearby villages.

• Pisciculture, mushroom culture and horticulture.

• Free classes for imparting education.

• Construction of school buildings.

• Adult literacy programmes.

• Sewing/knitting classes for ladies.

• Training for cycle/ pump/ LPG gas repairing classes for the youth.

• Cooking and baking classes.

• Organising entrepreneur awareness programmes for the local youth

• Construction and repair of wells, ponds, village roads, culverts, etc.

• Mobile dispensary van with doctors and free medicines catering to more than 50 villagers around TRL.

• Organising family welfare camps, immunisation camps, eye camps and health care camps.

• Providing tube wells for drinking water and supply of drinking water through tankers to adjoining areas.

• Raising of nursery, supplying fruit and forest plants to the neighbourhood.

• Organising plantation programmes and awareness programmes for children on environment protection and pollution control.

• Supply of solar cookers, solar lanterns and assisting in the construction of biogas units.
  

Besides these "indirect benefits", TRL contributed almost Rs. 6 crores to the Government Exchequer in the year 1999-2000. R and B normally signifies "rhythm and blues" - in the case of TRL, it is refractories and benevolence at Belpahar.