Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL) will be extending educational support to 1,500 underprivileged girl children in the current year under the Tata Salt's 'Desh Ko Arpan Programme' (DKAP) 2006. The company would also adopt a municipal school in Mumbai under the programme.

According to TCL's food additive business chief operating officer, Satish Sohoni, DKAP was launched in 2002 to champion socially relevant causes and the company contributes 10 paise for every kilo of Tata Salt sold for the programme.

The money raised for this year will be used for providing educational support to 500 girl children in Andhra Pradesh, 400 girls in Madhya Pradesh, 100 girls in Chattisgarh and 500 girls in Mumbai. The girl children are part of the 'Nanhi Kali', a special project, which is jointly managed by K C Mahindra Education Trust and Naandi Foundation.

Sohoni told mediapersons here on Thursday that DKAP was part of TCL's ongoing social and community development initiatives. In the last three years, the programme had contributed over Rs 1 crore, which had helped educate over 30,000 children across the country.

He handed over a cheque for Rs 29 lakh to Sheetal Mehta of the Nanhi Kali project as the company's contribution for a period of one month from January 26 to February 25, 2006.

Speaking on the occasion, Sheetal Mehta said TCL was not only contributing the money but was also actively involved in the project.

With a turnover of over Rs 3,000 crore, TCL is India's leading manufacturer of inorganic chemicals, fertilisers and food additives. Sohoni said Tata Salt had nearly 47 per cent share in the branded edible salt market in the country.