The Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to announce the schedule of the lok Sabha elections in the first or second week of March. As such, everybody was worried over the delay in the foundation stone laying ceremony for the proposed medical college and hospital (MCH) of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation of India (ESIC) in Bhubaneswar because once model code of conduct comes to force the project work will be further delayed. However, putting all speculations to rest, the foundation stone of the MCH was laid recently.
The bid process for the construction work of the ESIC MCH at Bhubaneswar with an estimated cost of Rs 650 crore was started on January 3. Four construction agencies Engineering Project limited, New Delhi, Hindustan Steel Works Construction, Delhi, Hindustan lifecare limited, Thiruvantapuram, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Nirman Nigam limited, lucknow had participated in the pre- bid conference at the ESIC headquarters building in New Delhi, which was held on January 10 last.
Though the medical college was announced in 2009, there was delay in executing the project on account of delay in land acquisition. Initially, there was confusion over selection of site in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. Finally, 25 acres land had been allotted at Jagannathprasad on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
So far, the ESIC has constructed boundary wall and other preliminary works by spending Rs 4.6 crore. It has also obtained the environment clearance. About Rs 800 crore will be spent in the MCH which will have a 500 bed super specialty hospital.
It may be noted that Union Minister of State for labour and Employment K Suresh on November 20, 2013 during his visit here had announced that the foundation stone of the proposed MCH would be laid in January, 2014 and MCH would be functional in 2017 academic session.
Suresh also had announced renovation and upgradation of the 50-bed hospital at Rourkela into a 100-bed facility. The hospital would have modern facilities and would cater to western region of the State for which the ESIC would spend Rs 100 crore, he had said, adding that the Union Ministry of labour had also decided to extend ESIC coverage to Joda in Keonjhar district, Khuntuni in Cuttack and lanjigarh in Kalahandi district.