Bhubaneswar(Kalinga Voice) : The 80th Regional Board meeting of Employee’s State Insurance Corporation, Odisha Region was held on 30.09.2021 under the Chairmanship of Minister Labour and ESI and Rural development Shri Susanta Singh in the Regional Office, Panchadeep Bhawan, Janpath, Bhubaneswar.
The Minister apprised that in Odisha there are 7.51 lakh of IPs as of March 2021. The ESI Scheme which ensures social security to the employees in the organised sectors, delivers, medical benefits as wells as cash benefit in case of eventualities such as sickness, maternity, accident, disablement, death etc . The Minister desired that ESIC to deploy appropriate number of
specialist, Insurance Medical Officers (IMOs) and Para Medicals to run the ESIC hospital, Angul by ESI corporation immediately. He stressed the need for posting of additional personnel, so that the hospital build up on the ESIC fund can be put to use immediately which is pending since long.
Hon’ble Minister also informed the ESI authority to follow up early approval of land proposal of 100 bedded ESI Hospital at Duburi which is pending since long at ESIC, New Delhi level. The Labour Union representatives also raised the issue of early construction of ESI Hospital at Duburi. Minister raised concern to set up 100 bedded hospital at Jharsuguda as the industrial hub do not have necessary medical set up. He also stressed the need to set up a hospital at Bargarh to cater the health need of ESI beneficiaries of Sambalpur and Bargarh (Rengali) area at a midpoint of the two districts, so that the beneficiaries of the two districts can avail the health benefits.
The Minster advised the ESIC authorities to start the work of ESIC Multi Specialty Hospital at Bhubaneswar which is pending since long. He also mooted to move ESIC, New Delhi to reconsider the proposal to set up ESIC Medical College at Bhubaneswar.
Further, considering the severity of Covid-19 pandemic ESIC has also launched two schemes namely.
1-Covid Relief Scheme under which monthly pension is given to dependents of the deceased IP due to Covid. Till date dependents of 73 numbers of deceased IPs have been paid pension.
2- Relaxed Atal Beemit Vyakti Yojana under which the retrenched workers/ workers who lost job due to Covid are given financial compensation of 50% of their wage for a period of three months or till they find another job whichever is earlier. Till date 325 numbers of employees have been paid around Rs34 lakh.
The Minister also handed over pension to dependents of the deceased IPs who lost their life due to Covid. The Hon’ble Minister also said that in principle approval for construction of 30 bedded hospital at Paradeep has been obtained and proposal for opening of a good number of new dispensaries is under consideration. In the said meeting it has been decided to enhance the bed strength of ESIC Model Hospital, Rourkela to 200 beds. It was also decided that requirement process will be initiated to fill up the vacancies in dispensaries and hospitals and to procure medicines for supply to the dispensaries and hospitals in time.
In the said meeting Smt. Chitra Arumugam ,IAS, Principal Secretary, Labour and ESI Department who is the Vice Chairperson of Regional Board, ESIC, Odisha, Shri Partha Sarathy Panda, Regional Director, In charge, Who is the Member Secretary Regional Board, Shri Jyoti Ranjan Pradhan ,OAS,(SS) Director, ESI scheme, Govt. of Odisha, Shri Gokulananda Jena, Corporation member, Chief Engineer of CPWD, Additional Labour Commissioner, Medical Superintendent of ESIS Hospital Bhubaneswar, Medical Superintendent of ESIC Hospital Rourkela and Medical Superintendent of ESI Hospital, Rourkela, Angul and Regional Board Members from CITU, INTUC, BMS, PPL, RSP,GRIDCO were also present.
