Bandaru Dattatreya blasts UPA

Raipur, Apr 4: Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya today alleged that the UPA government had neglected to pay out the scholarships meant for the children of beedi workers for two years.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has taken a number of initiatives for the welfare of workers. UPA government never thought of the welfare of labourers," he told reporters here.

UPA Government did not disburse scholarships of children of beedi workers for the years 2012-13 and 2013-14. After Modi government came to power, it distributed scholarships for three years together," he added.

Dattatreya was here to lay the foundation stones of 100-bed Employees' State Insurance Corporation hospitals to be set up in Raipur and Bhilai.

After the function, the Union Labour Minister held a meeting with Chhattisgarh Labour Minister Bhaiyalal Rajwade and officials.

He also met representatives of coal miners and discussed issues of mine workers at this meeting. It was decided at the meeting that local MPs and MLAs and collectors will hold meetings with labour commissioner and labour inspectors to enquire about the actual situation of coal mine workers in their respective areas.

They will submit a report within next three months to the ministry. The Centre was issuing Universal Account Number (UAN) to the workers in the unorganised sector to enable them access a number of social security benefits, he said.

At the foundation-laying ceremony, he said the two ESIC hospitals will be developed as super-speciality health centres with a budget of Rs 100 crore each.

He also announced sanction of a 100-bed ESIS hospital for Raigarh district and assured speedy completion of under- construction hospital in Korba district.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Raman Singh said free skills training will be imparted to the workers and they will be provided with financial help under the Prime Minister's Mudra Yojana.

PTI