To exert pressure on the State and Union Government for relocation of ESIC medical college at Rourkela from Bhubaneswar, members of Joint Action Committee under the leadership of CITU national vice president Bishnu Mohanty submitted a demand sheet along with signature of 30,000 Insured Persons (IPs) to the Superintendent, Rourkela ESI Model Hospital Dr Tej Bahadur Batra on Friday afternoon.
The delegation warned that if the genuine demands of the IPs are not addressed by the competent authority, the workers of different industrial units of the district will not only go for agitation, they will also not pay their monthly ESI dues from April 1 next. Dr Batra also assured the delegates that he will send the demand letter to the competent authority immediately.
It is to be mentioned here that after a decision was taken to establish an ESIC medical college hospital in Odisha, there was a demand to have it in Rourkela. And, accordingly, many Central and State leaders, including high level committee members of Union labour and Employment Ministry, had recommended the medical college to be set up in Rourkela. But surprisingly, certain leaders like former Rajya Sabha MP Rama Chandra Khuntia and officials of ESI Bhubaneswar regional office conspired to have it in Bhubaneswar and the foundation stone was laid at Bhubaneswar ignoring the interest of maximum IPs.
On Friday agitation, among others, Jahangir Alli, Biman Maity, Surendra Dash, Rajkishore Pradhan, Pitabasa Mishra, PP Ray, Pl Mishra, Salomi Minz, Basant Nayak, Omprakash Pattanaik, Chandravanu Das and representatives of different industrial workers were present. Source said ESIC hospital issue will also be a factor in the coming elections here.