Tripura has got the approval for setting up a 100-bedded Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital in the state, said Labour Minister Bhagaban Chandra Das.

Addressing a press conference here at Civil Secretariat on Thursday afternoon, Das said that the approval for setting up of the hospital was given in the 189th meeting of ESIC held on December 3-4.

About Rs. 50 to 70 crores will be utilized for construction of the hospital, said Das and added the ESIC Hospital will be set up at Agartala or Bodhjungnagar and state government will provide 5-acre land for construction of the proposed hospital and after formation of the proposed hospital, about 16,000 workers of the state and their families will get benefit. He said that a regional office of ESIC will also be set up in Agartala and there is presently only one regional office in Guwahati in the entire Northeast region.

The Labour Minister also said that the Tripura Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board has launched ‘Nirman Shramik Kalyan Prakalp 2.0’ on October 20, 2022 last to provide different facilities and services to the registered construction workers of the state and their family members.

 There are lots of opportunities for the construction workers which includes financial assistance of Rs. 50,000 for their daughter’s marriage. This facility is available for a maximum of two daughters in the family. In this regard, there is scope for financial assistance of maximum Rs. 8, 000 for delivery of a child and this facility is available for maximum two children. There are scopes for financial assistance of maximum Rs.20,000 for education of children of the construction workers starting from standard 1.

Apart from that, under Nirman Shramik Kalyan Prakalp 2.0, there are opportunities of financial assistance for accidental cases, pension, loans on subsidy for house construction, for performing last rites etc., said Das. So far, 862 construction workers of the state and their families have received financial assistance of Rs.36.89 lakh in different fields. He said, there are about 54,000 construction workers in the state presently. Among them, 40, 000 construction workers were provided with financial assistance of Rs.3000 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Labour Minister said that there are 20 types of workers in the state including Safai workers, Bidi (tobacco) workers, jewellers, incense stick makers, workers at petrol pumps, private guards, workers of hotels and restaurants. To provide them financial assistance, the Labour department has recently decided to increase minimum wages and they are getting their wages at the approved rate from October 1, 2022. As a result, more than 3 lakh workers will get benefits. Apart from that, brick worker’s wage has been increased to 13.33%, said Das. During the press meet Labour Commissioner Naresh Babu N. was also.