Bengal Minister skips ESIC event

West Bengal Labour Minister Malay Ghatak on Thursday stayed away from an Employee's State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) event here that was attended by Union Ministers Bandaru Dattatreya and Babul Supriyo.

Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya rued the fact that despite the event being an apolitical one, no state representation was seen.

"I am unhappy that the state Labour Minister and the state government representatives have not attended the programmme. It is an event of labourers, not a political one," Dattatreya said while addressing the gathering at the inauguration of a new office building of the ESIC.

He also laid the foundation stone for the upgradation of two ESIC hospitals here.

Supriyo described the absence of Ghatak as an "insult to the federal structure".

"It is an insult to the federal structure. No representatives of state government attended the programme," Supriyo said while responding to a query about the absence.

Speaking on the setting up of a new building of an ESIC hospital in his constituency in Asansol, Supriyo said, "We have been waiting for more than one year but Malay (Ghatak) is not able to give time."

"We are supposed to finalise some proposals (relating to the project) which came from the state government after this programme. We have agreed to the state proposal so that the project gets through."

"The Centre will go ahead with the project," Supriyo added.

--IANS

bdc/in/bg