The Andhra Pradesh government is prioritising workers’ safety, welfare, and health, said Minister for Labour and Insurance Medical Services, Vasamsetti Subhash.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday at the State Publicity Cell in the Secretariat, he announced the establishment of the Vasudha Mishra Committee to review safety measures in factories and industries.
Formed under the direction of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the committee will assess safety conditions across industries in the state and submit a comprehensive report within 10-15 days, Subhash said. He added that immediate action would be taken based on the committee’s recommendations.
The Minister highlighted that the Chief Minister is conducting regular reviews of the Labour Department to address workers’ issues. Andhra Pradesh currently has 96 dispensaries, four regional hospitals, and four diagnostic centres under the Employee State Insurance (ESI) scheme. Since assuming office, the coalition government has inaugurated new ESI hospitals in Yalamanchili and Gunadala. Additionally, the central government has given in-principle approval for 150- and 500-bed hospitals in Amaravati, as well as ESI hospitals in Kurnool and Nellore, with steps underway to operationalise them.
Criticising the negligence of the previous government, Subhash revealed that during its tenure, ESI hospitals were mismanaged, resulting in nearly Rs 610 crore in unused central funds being returned. Of an annual allocation of Rs 400 crore from the central government, only Rs 1.60 crore was utilised, he noted. A vigilance inquiry has been initiated to investigate corruption in the operation of ESI hospitals during the previous administration.
The Minister also pointed out that safety auditing agencies were misused as collection agencies under the previous government, with false cases filed against factories to extort money. This negligence led to accidents like the Essensia factory incident, which claimed 15 lives.
Subhash assured that the present TDP-led NDA government is taking strong measures to enforce strict safety standards in factories to prevent such accidents. Additionally, he stressed the importance of creating awareness among workers about their entitlements under the law and ensuring support for construction and industrial labourers.
The state is committed to implementing stringent safety protocols and welfare measures for the labour force, to establish a safer and more equitable working environment, the Minister added.
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