NEPALGUNJ, NOV 7: People working with industrial enterprises in Nepalgunj Industrial Estate have been deprived of even basic facilities.
Altogether 850 workers are employed by 35 industries in the estate.
As per the existing rules, industrial enterprises in the estate are provided with facilities like water and electricity, health clinic, postal service, canteen, road and sewage service, among others. But the Nepalgunj Industrial Estate does not have health clinic.
Because of the lack of health clinic in the industrial estate premises, industries have to take workers to expensive hospitals even if they suffer minor injuries.
Ghana Shyam Poudel, supervisor of Binod Metal Industries said that industrial estate should have a health clinic with at least a health assistant and a nurse“ "We have to take laborers with minor injuries to private hospitals in rickshaws or motorbikes as the estate lacks health clini”," he said, adding that industries estates should have facilities like health clinic, ambulance and fire engines.
Though the industrial estate has designated a four-room building for health clinic, it has been used as a quarter for the employees. The health clinic was operational when the industrial estate opened in 1973, officials of the Nepalgunj Industrial Estate say. But it has gone out of operation since 2001. One health assistant and one nurse was providing service to workers till 2001, industrialists say.
Similarly, free monthly health check up of workers has not been organized in the past 15 years. Likewise, the industrial estate management has not held the annual health camp for workers for years.
Krishna Bahadur Pun, chief of Nepalgunj Industrial Estate Management Committee, said health service is basic rights of people“ "I don't know why the health clinic was closed. The workers should not be deprived of the basic health servic”," he added.
The industrial estate does not have facilities like postal service, banks and financial institutions, library, playing ground and baby care center.
Industries in the industrial estate manufacture products like polythene, pipe, steel, food stuffs, copper, brass, utensils, seats, plywood, steel furniture and cement, among others.
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