Health is an important aspect of dvpt: Buddhadeb

Durgapur, Feb 10: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said health was an important issue for the development of private and public sector joint ventures.

The Chief Minister made this observation while laying the foundation of the nation's first-ever Health City at Goda in Burdwan district here.

''There has been no such health satellite city in India. This one at Burdwan is the first of its kind,'' Mr Bhattachatjee maintained.

About Rs 1000 crore was spent for the sprawling campus of the Health City, he informed.

The Chief Minister admitted that public health service was not sufficiently catering to the needs of the people even after 59 years of Independence.

''Certain aspects of the health sevice needs to be improved, especially since more than 70 per cent people in the state depend on government health facility,'' he said.

He also thanked those who had voluntarily given up their lands for the Health City and assured that they would be provided with special health benefits.

Among others present at the function were state Commerce and Industry Minister Nirupam Sen and state Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharya.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sen said Burdwan Development Authority would issue a special insurance policy for those Below Povery Line (BPL) and also open up employment opportunites for them.

Mr Bhattacharjee said, ''Rs 22 crore will be set aside for the development of slum dwellers.'' The Chief Minister also inaugurated an auditorium 'Nazrul Satabarshiki Bhavan' in the name of the legendary poet Kaji Nazrul Islam at Jamuria in Asansol.

In the final programme of the day, he laid the foundation stone of 2x250 MW Thermal Power Project of Himachal EMTA Power Limited and 120 TP Industrial Packaging Paper Mill of Ballavpur Paper Manufacturing Limited at Raniganj in Asansol of the district.

Both the projects, the estimated cost of which is Rs 2300 crores, are funded by a private group of industralists.

UNI