Andhra Pradesh government with the funds of Central government will construct a super speciality hospital in Visakhapatnam at a cost of Rs. 700 crore.

Addressing a press conference in the secretariat here on Thursday, Minister for Labour Pitani Satyanarayana said that Chief Minister N Chandrababau Naidu approved the proposal for the construction of 500-bed super speciality ESI hospital in Visakhapatnam with Central government funds. The construction would begin soon.

The minister said that the 50-bed ESI hospital in Tirupati would be upgraded as 100-bed hospital. He said that approvals were given for the construction of 100-bed ESI hospitals in Vizainagaram, Kakinada, Penugonda and Guntur. As many as 12 ESI hospitals would come up in private buildings soon at various places in the state, he informed.

The Minister said that a nodal agency was appointed to develop Industrial Training Institutions (ITIs) in the state. He said that over 2.57 crore people have enrolled their names for the Chandranna Bhima scheme. The government had disbursed Rs 2000 crore compensation so far to over 2 lakh victims under the Chandranna Bhima insurance scheme. The Chandranna Bhima scheme is being implemented to small and marginal farmers.