Funds for beedi workers' hospital project in T.N.

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, NOV. 6. The Centre has fulfilled a long-felt need of the beedi workers in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district by sanctioning Rs. 5.33 crores for setting up of a full-fledged 30- bed hospital at Mukoodal.

The Centre has entrusted the construction of the hospital to the Central Public Works Department.

The hospital will benefit over three lakh beedi workers in Tirunelveli district.

A hospital for beedi workers is functioning in Mysore since 1995.

The 50-bed hospital project was conceived in 1982 by the Labour Welfare Organisation of the Labour Ministry which has been running dispensaries and mobile health care units in various parts of Tirunelveli district for the benefit of beedi workers. Subsequently, 10 acres of land was also purchased.

Mr. P.H. Pandian, who was first elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly from the Cheranmahadevi constituency, took the initiative to implement the project, but did not succeed.

However, in 1995, the then Union Labour Minister, Mr. P.A. Sangma, laid the foundation stone for the hospital.

But the hospital project continued to remain only on paper and by then, in view of the hike in the project cost, the Centre reduced its capacity from 50 to 30 beds.

Meanwhile, Mr. Pandian was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1999 from the Tirunelveli constituency and he took up the matter with the Centre. This time, his perseverance paid dividends.

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