Sheer negligence, YSRCP govt spent only ₹1.6 cr of ₹400 cr for ESI hospitals
Andhra Pradesh Labour Minister Vasamsetti Subhash has said that the NDA government is giving a top priority to the safety, welfare, and health of workers in the State.
Addressing the media at the Secretariat on December 10 (Tuesday), the Minister said the Vasudha Mishra Committee has been constituted to suggest measures, plans and steps to prevent accidents in factories.
“This committee will inspect the industries across the State and submit a report to the government, following which appropriate actions will be taken,” the Minister said.
The Minister said that there were 96 dispensaries, four regional hospitals, and four diagnostic centres in the State. ESI hospitals have been inaugurated at Yelamanchili and Gunadala.
New ESI hospitals
“The Central government has approved the establishment of 150-bed and 500-bed ESI hospitals in Amaravati, Kurnool, Nellore, and other areas. Steps will soon be taken to implement these plans,” he said.
Subhash pointed out that the previous YSR Congres Party (YSRCP) government had neglected the ESI hospitals. “The Central government allocates around ₹400 crore annually for the management of these hospitals, but the previous administration had utilized only ₹1.60 crore, sending the rest back,” the Minister said.
He announced that a vigilance inquiry would be initiated into the alleged corruption in these hospitals during the previous government’s tenure.
Subhash criticised the YSRCP government’s approach, stating that ‘safety auditing agencies were turned into collection agencies, attempting to extort large sums from factories by filing false cases’.
He blames the negligence of the YSRCP government for the Essencia tragedy which claimed 15 lives, saying that stringent safety standards were being enforced in factories to prevent such accidents.
The government is ensuring that all assistance is provided to industrial and construction workers. Efforts are being put to ensure that the workers are made aware of their legal entitlements, he added. The Hindu
