Union Minister K Suresh today said the Chhattisgarh government was dithering on construction of a Employees State Insurance (ESI) hospital which will benefit workers under the social security and health insurance scheme.
"No proposal has come so far from Chhattisgarh government for setting up ESI hospital...If such proposal comes up, we will extend our full cooperation," Suresh, the Union Labour and Employment minister, said.
He was talking to reporters today on the sidelines of the ongoing 30th plenary session of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) which began here yesterday.
Even in Bastar, ESI facilities do not exist, the minister said.
On steps being taken by Centre for uplifting unorganised workers, he said, "There are 44 labour laws for workers of organised sector. However, understanding the plight of unorganised workers, the Centre has implemented Social Security Act."
About 92 per cent of total work force is in unorganised sector and Rashtriya Swasthya Beema Yojana (RSBY), which provides Rs 30,000 as medical assistance per year to all categories of workers, has been launched to cater to them, Suresh said.
"In addition, laws for right to work, pension have also been introduced for unorganised sector," he added.
Suresh said 20 per cent seats for wards of ESI beneficiaries have already been reserved in medical colleges of Chennai, Gulbarga (Karnataka) and Joka (West Bengal).
