Pralhad Joshi hails coal & mines PSUs for providing aid in fight against COVID-19

Heaping praises for the coals and mines public sector units (PSUs), Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said it is a ‘matter of pride’ that the sector is standing by the state governments in battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

To support the government’s efforts in tackling the Coronavirus cases, the National Aluminium Company (NALCO) and Coal India subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) will fully fund two dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in Odisha.

The hospitals were inaugurated on Monday by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, along with Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister of Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi through Video Conference. The hospitals started by the government of Odisha will be run with the help of different medical hospitals of the state.

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"It is a matter of pride that PSUs of Coal and Mines Ministries have extended their best possible support to the State governments in fighting COVID-19. These hospitals with all COVID-19 related facilities will be a great help to the people of Odisha," Joshi said.

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Coal and mines companies make generous contributions

While NALCO will contribute a 200-bedded hospital set up in the Nabarangpur district of Odisha, MCL will fund the 150-bedded hospital at Talcher in the Angul district of the state. Additionally, MCL has also provided its medical college infrastructure for developing the hospital.

Apart from this, NALCO employees have contributed their one-day salary amounting to Rs 2.5 crore to Odisha CM's Relief Fund. MCL is already funding a dedicated 500-bedded COVID-19 Hospital at Bhubaneswar, which was started by the Odisha government recently. This Coal India company has also established over 50 beds isolation center in Jharsuguda district of the state.

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(With inputs from agency)