ESIC dispensary building in shabby condition; may collapse anytime: MIA

New Delhi, Oct 4 (KNN) Despite High Court orders, the Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) dispensary building in phase 2 of Mohali has not been demolished for rebuilding and is still in pathetic condition, said Jasbir Singh, Chairman of Labor Laws Committee, Mohali Industries Association (MIA).

Talking to KNN India, he said “The building of ESIC dispensary is in very shabby condition and can be collapsed any time posing threat and danger to the life of staff and insured workers.”

He said that the walls of the building are completely damped and has developed several cracks.

The concerned authorities are not taking this matter seriously and playing with the lives of employees and patients, he added.

From last many years, ESIC has turned deaf ear to the request of MIA and not taking any right action in right direction for the safety of the workers and insured employees who have been paying heavily from their pockets.

This is not the first case that MIA has raised against ESIC but from past many years it has been raising the concerns and issues pertaining to the lackadaisical attitude of the department which has posed serious threats to the life of insured workers.

Despite paying out of the pockets, the insured workers are not getting proper infrastructure for their treatment. The infrastructure has been ineffective, inefficient and dysfunctional from long and has not been repaired despite making frequent requests.

Because of compulsion, low paid employees have to give treatment to the patients as they have no option other than risking their lives.

Over this matter, Mohali Industries Association (MIA) had appealed in the high-court via Public Interest Litigation in September 2016.

During the hearing of the case in 2017, the District Authority (DA) legal ordered the ESIC authorities to immediate collapse the building for re-construction.

Jasbir Singh said that this had been a year old decision taken by the high-court and since then no action has been taken by the concerned authorities of the dispensary.

The building is still in shabby condition which may collapse any time and may cause serious damage which cannot be covered financially, said Jasbir Singh.