ITC Limited's Bhadrachalam paperboards mill has been declared the ``PAPER MILL OF THE YEAR 2005-06" by the Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA). Mr Ashwani Kumar, Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Industry, Government of India, presented the award today at the seventh Annual General Meeting of IPMA in New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Pradeep Dhobale, the newly elected President of IPMA and Chief Executive of ITC's Paperboards and Specialty Papers business said, "The achievement demonstrates the success of ITC's triple bottom line approach to doing business - augmenting economic, environmental and social capital. Pioneering initiatives like biotechnology based plantations, eco-friendly Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) pulping technology, cost effective fly ash brick manufacturing and product innovation in packaging & specialty papers have won us this award."

ITC's Paperboards and Specialty Papers business has been at the forefront of benchmark initiatives like social and farm forestry that have greened 61,000 hectares and created employment potential for 600,000 marginal farmers and tribals. Such massive afforestation activities have also helped ITC turn `carbon positive', sequestering more carbon dioxide than its operations emit. Its ECF plant is the first in the country to offer pulping for foodgrade packaging, which is gaining consumer franchise across the country.  others.