Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugrates ESIC hospital with 100 beds at Odisha’s Angul

The New Indian Express | June 16, 2022
Pradhan said that the hospital is a ‘Raja’ gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the working class people of the State.

ANGUL/JHARSUGUDA: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday inaugurated the 100-bed Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospital at Balaram Prasad in Angul district in presence of Union Minister of State for Labour Rameswar Teli.

Addressing the event, Pradhan said that the hospital is a ‘Raja’ gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the working class people of the State. The hospital acted like a ‘Sanjeevani’ for the people of Odisha during the COVID-19 pandemic by saving many valuable lives, he said.

The ESIC hospital has been built over 4.8 acre of land at a cost of Rs 65 crore. The Union Minister further said Angul and Jharsguda districts produced 150 MT of the total 600 MT coal produced in India.

A modern hospital was needed for the people engaged in the coal mines. “There are thousands of workers working in coal, aluminium, steel, power and other sectors in both the districts. The Narendra Modi-led government is trying its best to help the workers across the State by bringing them under various social security schemes,” Pradhan said.

Highlighting the initiatives of the Centre, Pradhan said the Union government introduced the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund to help people in the mining affected districts of the country. Every year, Angul district gets Rs 250 crore from the DMF.

On the occasion, Teli said three new ESIC hospitals will be set up at Bhubaneswar, Jajpur and Paradip in the State. “Twenty districts in Odisha are covered by the ESIC and more than 13 lakh labourers are being benefited. The labour force is the backbone of the nation’s development and the Government of India is taking steps to ensure their holistic development,” he said.

The Union Minister informed that the 100-bed hospital will provide advanced healthcare to over 75,000 workers of Angul and its neighbouring districts. On the day, the Union Ministers also virtually inaugurated the sub-regional office of ESIC at Jharsuguda which will cater to the needs of around 1.75 lakh registered workers and their families in 13 districts of western Odisha.

Among others, Dhenkanal MP Mahesh Sahoo, his Bargarh counterpart Suresh Pujari Odisha Labour Minister Srikanta Sahoo, Director General of ESIC Mukhamit S Bhatia and Angul Collector Sidhartha Shankar Swain were present.

Complete projects within limited time framework: DC

The Pioneer | June 08, 2022

A review meeting was conducted at the district level of District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) under the chairmanship of deputy commissioner Nancy Sahay. In the meeting the deputy commissioner has instructed all departments to prepare the plan according to the demand of the public.

She instructed all the block level and district level officers to complete every plan within the time framework, which is prescribed by the state Government. This is the basic duty of the concerned department to take the administrative sanction for the further action.

She further said that the departments must prepare the plan on health, education, drinking water and social welfare with the consultation of the

concerned block and panchayat and must be passed by the villagers general meeting.

Sahay said that the plan should be implemented after 15 days in each and every block. Those blocks which are affected by the mining must be put on top priority. She has instructed the engineers of every department they must be honest in the completion of the projects. If any negative report will come to headquarters then strict action will be taken on the concerned engineer.

She told the child development officers to select 200 Anganwadi Kendra and their diet chart as early as possible and send it to the district headquarter.

In the meeting civil surgeon, district panchayat raj officer, executive officer of district board, rural development building division engineers were present.

States used Rs 1,460 crore from district mineral foundation fund to combat Covid-19

The Times of India | May 27, 2022
NEW DELHI: State governments have spent a total of Rs 1,459.93 crore from District Mineral Foundation funds on various activities to curb Covid-19 during the past more than two years, according to the ministry of mines.
The ministry also said that several states, including Odisha, Telangana and Karnataka, are still using District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds to battle coronavirus.

District Mineral Foundation (DMF) is a non-profit statutory trust, which has been set up for the welfare of the districts affected by mining-related activities. It is an initiative of the government to ensure that funds collected under DMF are utilised for the welfare of those affected by mining-related operations.

The total funds available under DMF as on March 28, 2020 was to the tune of Rs 14,694.47 crore, the ministry said.
“State governments are continuing to use District Mineral Foundation funds to combat Covid-19, wherein Rs 1,459.93 crore has been spent till April 28, 2022,” the ministry said, adding that the amount was spent between March 28, 2020 and April 28, 2022.

Of the total amount utilised during the pandemic, Odisha spent the maximum Rs 445.54 crore, followed by Telangana at Rs 334.08 crore. Karnataka spent Rs 199.58 crore, while Rs 139.79 crore has been utilised by Andhra Pradesh and Rs 91 crore by Chhattisgarh.

Other states which spent DMF funds to combat Covid-19 are Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and West Bengal.

However, Bihar, Harayana and Kerala did not spend funds for activities related to Covid-19 since March 28, 2020 till last month.

As on March 28, 2020, Bihar had DMF fund of Rs 84.50 crore, followed by Haryana Rs 20.24 crore and Kerala Rs 2 crore.
DMF has been created in each district under the provisions of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015.

I am not in race for CM post: Nirani

The Hindu | May 29, 2021

He says his focus will be on all-round development of Kalaburagi district in the next 30 years Dismissing media reports, Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani on Saturday made it clear that he was not an aspirant for the post of Chief Minister.

“I am not in the race. It is speculation by a section of media. I have not visited Bengaluru for the last few days. I am completely engaged in COVID-19 containment activities in Bilagi and Kalaburagi and it is my priority. B.S. Yediyurappa is our leader and the government would work under him,” Mr. Nirani told mediapersons at a press conference in Kalaburagi.

Mission 2020-2050
After chairing a meeting of legislators and district-level officers from Kalaburagi district, Mr. Nirani, who is also the in-charge Minister for Kalaburagi, announced that the administration would come up with Kalaburagi Mission 2020-2050 to fundamentally transform the district which had been one of the backward districts in the State as per Dr. D.M. Nanjundappa panel.

“The Mission envisages all-round development of the district in the next 30 years. Agriculture, industry, irrigation, education, health and other core areas would be focused on. The mission would be implemented in three phases each having 10-year duration,” he said adding that he would spend a whole day with intellectuals and subject experts in the district discussing the initiative and taking their suggestions.

On the poor ranking of Kalaburagi in SSLC results, Mr. Nirani said the Deputy Directors of Public Instruction under whose tenure the districts bagged the first rank in the SSLC results would be summoned to Kalaburagi and asked to share their efforts and experiences with their counterpart in Kalaburagi.

On the State’s financial condition to handle COVID-19, Mr. Nirani said that there was no dearth of funds. “At present COVID-19 cases in the district are on the decline. 170 of the 404 beds in GIMS [Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences] are vacant. The demand for oxygen and Remdesivir has also fallen. Taking up vaccination on a massive scale is our next priority. There is no dearth of funds for handling COVID-19. Kalaburagi has ₹175 crore of the District Mineral Foundation funds and the Chief Minister has permitted to use 33% of it for COVID-19 containment activities. Besides, we have ₹50 crore Disaster Management Funds. We are renovating the ESIC Hospital at Shahabad which remained unused for the last 20 years. We are spending ₹12 crore for it,” Mr. Nirani said.

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