STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: An ESIC (Employees State Insurance Corporation) medical college for the tea workers is on the cards in Assam.
Union Labour Minister Bhupendra Yadav assured the State Government today that the Union Labour Ministry would extend all support if any proposal comes for an ESIC medical college for the tea workers of Assam from the authority. Yadav said this after the meeting of the Central Board of Trustees, EPF (Employees' Provident Fund) at Guwahati today.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was present at the meeting, urged the Union Minister to set up an ESIC medical college in Assam to treat the occupational diseases of tea workers.
The Union minister said, "The nation has 18 ESIC medical colleges. I will extend all support to make the medical college a reality if any proposal comes for such a hospital."
ESIC medical colleges set up under the aegis of the ESI Corporation, a central autonomous body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, provide primary and tertiary healthcare facilities to the workers insured under ESI Corporation. Such hospitals are also referral centres for smaller ESI clinics and dispensaries.
The meeting of the Central Board recommended an 8.1 per cent annual rate of interest to be credited on EPF accumulations in members' accounts for the financial year 2021-22. The board approved the recommendations of the ad-hoc committee coverage and related mitigation to ensure universal coverage to all under the social security schemes of EPFO up to the wage ceiling. It also agreed to extend social security coverage to gig and platform workers.
In the function, Yadav launched a PE portal 2.0. On the 75 years of independence, the Union Minister released a compilation of 75 success stories of the functioning of EPFO field offices. He also inaugurated the eight zonal call centres at Guwahati zonal office. With this launch, the EPFO call centre attends calls in seven local vernacular languages – Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu and Kannada, in addition to Hindi and English.
The Union minister said that it is the gateway to the Northeast. The natural beauty, forest and pilgrim centres of Assam always tempt people from the rest of the world. The culture of Assam also has much to give to the rest of the country. "As the Forest Minister, I appreciate the success story of tiger conservation in Assam," he said.
Also read: Tea workers in Assam get much less wages to lead a decent living: IIT Bombay & Oxfam India
Also watch: