VISAKHAPATNAM: Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Corporation has accorded in-principle approval for setting up of eight new ESI hospitals and 18 new dispensaries across the State. In reply to a query by Anakapalle MP B Satyavati in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Union Minister for Labour Ramesh Teli said the setting up of new ESI hospitals is an ongoing process.
The new hospitals would include a 400-bed hospital in Visakhapatnam and six 100-bed hospitals at Guntur, Vizianagaram, Kakinada, Penukonda, Visakhapatnam, Sri City, Nellore and Nellore. A 30-bed ESI hospital will be established at Atchutapuram in Anakapalle district, he elaborated.
The 18 ESI dispensaries are to be set up in the State are Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), Annakapalle, Nakkapalli, Ongole, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Naidupet, Satyavedu, Puthalapattu, Veradhaipanem, Kanchikacherla, Chillakur, Tuni, Etcherla, Appanaveedu, Muthukur, Paravada, and Mudenepalli.
The Union minister said setting up of ESI hospitals is based on the number of insured persons (IPs) in an area in accordance with the norms of the Corporation.
The ESI Corporation has given approval for the new hospitals and dispensaries in response to the requests/proposals/consent from the State government, he added. In reply to another question by the Anakapalle MP on assistance provided to various States under the corporate social responsibility (CSR), Union Minister for Corporate Affairs Rao Inderjet Singh explained that a broad framework for CSR has been provided under Section 135 of the Companies Act, Schedule VII of the Act and Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014. He said all data related to CSR filed by companies is available in public domain.
As per the data provided by the Union minister, Maharashtra has been on top of CSR expenditure with Rs 3,147.66 cr in 2018-19, Rs 3,348.82 cr in 2019-20 and Rs 3,426.31 cr in 2020-21, while AP has contributed Rs 665.97 cr, Rs 710.12 cr and Rs 715.81 cr for the three financial years.
Among the districts in the State, Visakhapatnam stood first with Rs 29.88 cr CSR in 2018-19, Rs 26.19 cr in 2019-20 and Rs 55.89 crore in 2020-21.
MAHARASHTRA ON TOP
As per the data provided by the Union minister, Maharashtra has been on top of CSR expenditure with Rs 3,147.66 cr in 2018-19, Rs 3,348.82 cr in 2019-20 and Rs 3,426.31 cr in 2020-21, while AP has contributed Rs 665.97 cr, Rs 710.12 cr and Rs 715.81 cr for the three financial years