STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour and Employment, Santosh Kumar Gangwar on Monday laid the foundation stone of 100-bedded ESIC (Employees’ State Insurance Corporation) Hospital at SIDCO Industrial Complex, Ompora, Budgam.
Among others, Farooq Abdullah, Member of Parliament; Farooq Khan, Advisor to Lt Governor; BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Union Ministry of Labour and Employment; Anuradha Prasad, Director General ESIC; Saurabh Bhagat, Commissioner/ Secretary, Labour and Employment Department J&K; Mohammad Harun, Managing Director, SIDCO; Ghulam Mohammad Dar, Executive Director, JKEDI; Shahbaz Ahmad Mirza, Deputy Commissioner, Budgam; workers; students and eminent citizens of the area were present on the occasion.
“We are working to provide world class health facilities at affordable prices to the people of UT. My aim is to strengthen the preventive, primary and secondary health care ecosystem in J&K”, asserted the Lt Governor. The Lieutenant Governor said that the facilities in the hospital would be on the lines of those available in the hospital in Ahmadabad, and there is no cap placed on the expenses during the treatment, so that needy people are benefitted. A time limit of two years has been set for completing this hospital in Ompora with 23 Specialties. I want this hospital and the expansion of ‘Bari Brahmana’ hospital to be completed in the next One and a half years so that health facilities like Delhi-Mumbai can be provided to the beneficiaries in J&K, he added.
“Agreement has been made with many other Super Specialty Hospitals so that there is no lack of necessary health facilities”, he added.
The Lt Governor also expressed desire to establish Labour Sarai for the Labourers who often get struck on highways while travelling during landslides and snowfall. Gangwar said that the Central Government is very keen to ensure peace, prosperity and development in J&K. He said that the government has taken various milestone steps for the welfare and progress of labour class to uplift their socio-economic conditions. By establishing Labour Courts and Laws, workers have been provided a lot of relief, he added. Regarding completion of construction work of ESIC hospital at Budgam, the Union Minister said that the hospital will come up with the State of Art medical facilities and cater to the medical needs of insured persons and beneficiaries in the catchment area. 50 bedded ESIC Hospital at Bari Brahmana would be upgraded to 100-bedded hospital for which additional land has been identified, he added.
The Union Minister assured all possible support to the UT government for welfare and prosperity of the people of J&K. Later, cheques worth Rs 6.37 crore were distributed as financial assistance among 6444 construction workers and beneficiaries of self employment scheme by the Lt Governor and Union Minister for Labour and Employment.
