Andhra Pradesh Strengthens Worker Safety, Health with New Measures

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Labour Minister Vasamsetti Subhash in a recent statement has mentioned that the NDA government is prioritising the safety, welfare, and health of workers across the state. 

Addressing the media at the Secretariat on December 10, 2024, the Minister outlined a series of measures to improve industrial safety standards and provide better healthcare facilities for workers.

Mr Subhash in his address criticised the previous government for neglecting the ESI hospitals. The Minister stated that the Central government allocates around ₹400 crore annually for the management of these hospitals, but the previous administration had utilized only ₹1.60 crore, returning the rest. Following this, he announced that a vigilance inquiry had been initiated into the alleged corruption in these hospitals during the previous government’s tenure.

Also Read:45 Medical Officers join ESI Hospitals, CM Patnaik stresses quality healthcare

As per the recent media report by The Hindu, the Minister said, “This committee will inspect the industries across the State and submit a report to the government, following which appropriate actions will be taken.”

Subhash accused the previous government of transforming safety auditing agencies into collection agencies, focused on extorting money from factories by filing false cases. He placed much of the blame for the deadly Essencia tragedy, which claimed the lives of 15 workers, on the negligence of the previous government, asserting that the YSRCP government’s failure to enforce adequate safety measures had contributed to the tragedy.

Expansion of Healthcare with New ESI hospitals

In his address, the Minister also mentioned that there were 96 dispensaries, four regional hospitals, and four diagnostic centres in the State. Additionally, the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) hospitals have been inaugurated at Yelamanchili and Gunadala.

The minister announced that the Central government had approved the establishment of 150-bed and 500-bed ESI hospitals in Amaravati, Kurnool, Nellore, and other areas and that steps would soon be taken to implement these plans.

Also Read: Expansion of ESI Hospitals: ESI Corporation to set up 105 Hospitals

Furthermore, in his address, the minister mentioned that the government is committed to ensuring all necessary assistance is provided to industrial and construction workers. He added that efforts are underway to educate workers about their legal rights and the welfare schemes available under both state and central government programs.