At a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao highlighted the urgency for the construction of a Sainik Bhawan and Sainik Rest House in Visakhapatnam. Stating that Visakhapatnam was the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command and had a large population of ex-servicemen (ESM) living there, GVL bemoaned that an important defence station as Visakhapatnam lacked even basic infrastructure for serving the needs of ex-servicemen.
The Zilla Sainik Welfare Office (Zilla Sainik Board) operates from a dilapidated building with not even basic facilities and there is no Sanik Rest House in Visakhapatnam city where hundreds of ex-servicemen go regularly from nearby districts for treatment, GVL mentioned in a letter submitted to the minister.
Regretting the State government’s neglect of the needs of the ex-servicemen, GVL sought urgent intervention of the Defence Minister to have land and funds sanctioned for the construction of a new, full-fledged Sainik building and a rest house in Visakhapatnam.
The MP highlighted the need for improved health facilities for ex-servicemen and serving personnel in Visakhapatnam. The present medical infrastructure and facilities in Visakhapatnam are grossly inadequate to serve a large number of 43,000 ESIS cardholders and their dependents. To improve the healthcare facilities for ex-servicemen, GVL requested establishment of another polyclinic for Visakhapatnam and upgradion of the present polyclinic (to at least Type-B) with proper infrastructure and staffing. He also sought upgradation of INHS Kalyani Hospital, Visakhapatnam, from 206 beds to 604 beds to serve the needs of serving and ESM community and reduce dependence on empaneled hospitals.
GVL Narasimha Rao also offered to contribute Rs 50 lakh from his MPLADS funds towards the construction of any of the above buildings or for the purchase of one or two mobile polyclinic vans for serving the needs of the ESM community. If need be, CSR funds could be mobilised for the purpose.
GVL Narasimha Rao expressed happiness that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had responded positively and assured to have the grievances examined soon.
