TIRUPUR: The announcement by the Union Labour Minister to build a 100-bed multi-specialty hospital in Tirupur by the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has brought cheer to hosiery workers.

The ESIC authorities in Coimbatore, in the first week of November, had asked the revenue authorities to start the land acquisition process. In a letter to the Revenue Divisional Officer, Tirupur, they had requested him to suggest non-cultivable Government poramboke land or private patta land measuring 5.5 acres suitable for the hospital and staff quarters.

The District Revenue Officer has asked the ESI authorities to apply in a specific form mentioning the survey numbers of the land, land plan schedule, requirement and provision of funds. According to sources in the Revenue Department they can start the work, once the ESIC authorities made the deposit in the name of Land Acquisition Officer for land cost, administrative expenses including advertisement charges.

The sources said there was no Government land measuring 5.5 acres in the Tirupur town limits. Only 80 cents was available on the arterial Kangeyam Road. In order to acquire private land on the outskirts of the town, the ESIC has to pay the deposit first.

The ESIC Coimbatore sub-region that includes Coimbatore, Erode and the Nilgiris districts, gets 40 per cent of its revenue from Tirupur with 88,000 insured persons.

Tirupur industry pays Rs. 2 crores a month towards contribution. The number is expected to go up to 1.20 lakh in a year. The ESIC runs two dispensaries in Tirupur and that is not of much use to the workers.

A site selection committee will soon be formed and the process will be sped up.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail