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ESI dispensaries to be upgraded: Bandaru Dattatreya

Mr Dattatreya highlighted various reforms and initiatives undertaken by the NDA in the last two years.

Hyderabad: Union minister for labour Bandaru Dattatreya on Saturday said that terms like lockouts, layoffs and strikes have become a thing of the past in the last two years due to several welfare schemes and initiatives taken by his ministry. To support his claim, he mentioned the decision to pay 8.8 per cent interest on Employees’ Provident Fund accounts, despite interest rates going down in the market. This, he said, was benefiting 17.8 crore employees across the country.

Addressing a programme to mark the NDA government's two-year rule, at the Yousufguda indoor stadium, Mr Dattatreya highlighted various reforms and initiatives undertaken by the NDA in the last two years. The Union minister said that the ESI medical college with 100 seats would commence classes from this year. “Also, 16 ESI dispensaries in Telangana districts would be converted into hospitals at a cost of Rs 200 crore. A new ESI hospital would come up in Nirmal (Adilabad district). If TS government gives land, the Labour ministry will establish a Social Security Research Centre in Hyderabad to benefit the unorganised sector,” he said.

He also promised permanent houses for beedi workers, and said that ESI medical facility for film workers, auto drivers, rickshaw-pullers etc. was on the cards. Speaking earlier, Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan mooted the idea of a single smart card for workers to avail all schemes like EPF, health insurance etc. Mr Narasimhan suggested establishing evening colleges for the convenience of workers, who can continue their education part-time.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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