Nagpur: The Maharashtra Government has assured the Assembly that it is positive about establishing an Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College in Nagpur and will soon send a revised proposal to the Central Government after addressing technical issues.
The assurance came from Prakash Abitkar, Maharashtra’s Health Minister, while replying to a starred question raised by BJP MLA Pravin Datke during the Assembly session.
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Datke pointed out that a meeting of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation under the Ministry of Labour and Employment was held in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh on June 27, 2025, where a decision was taken to establish 10 new medical colleges across the country. Maharashtra was to receive two such colleges, proposed for Nagpur and Pune.
However, Datke expressed concern that while proposals for the remaining nine locations have already been submitted by the Labour Department, the proposal for Nagpur has yet to be forwarded to the Centre. He questioned the delay despite Nagpur being represented by senior leaders such as Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Datke said that if the proposal is approved, it will lead to an increase in MBBS seats and Nagpur will get its third government medical college, alongside Government Medical College and Hospital Nagpur and Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital.
He further noted that large labour settlements are emerging in areas like MIHAN and New Nagpur, and the proposed medical college would significantly benefit the working-class population while also generating employment opportunities.
Currently, the labour hospital at Hanuman Nagar and Siraspeth, spread over around three acres, provides only outpatient services. Datke said upgrading it into a full-fledged medical college and hospital would greatly enhance healthcare facilities for workers and their families.
During the discussion, Datke sought detailed clarification from the government on four key issues, including the status of the memorandum of understanding for establishing the ESIC medical college in Nagpur, reasons for the delay in sending the proposal despite availability of land with the Labour and Health Departments, the number and condition of labour hospitals in the state, and the timeline for operationalising the proposed institution.
Responding to the questions, Abitkar said the state government is committed to establishing the ESIC medical college in Nagpur. He assured the House that technical deficiencies in the proposal would be rectified and the revised proposal would be sent to the Central Government soon, paving the way for the project to move forward.
