Two years after demolition, ESI land lies idle

Metro India News | MAHABUBABAD

The demolition of employees' quarters at the ESI Hospital campus in Sanathnagar has raised serious questions over the lack of planning by the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Corporation authorities. Nearly two years after the quarters were razed, officials are yet to finalise any concrete proposal for the vast land that was cleared, leaving employees and their families bearing the consequences.     

Around 100 quarters located within the ESI Hospital premises housed nearly 450 families of ESI employees, including both State and Central staff. In 2024, authorities demolished these residential blocks spread across nearly 50 to 60 acres of land. Families that had been living there for decades were forced to relocate, moving into rented houses, nearby localities, or constructing homes elsewhere.

Employees allege that the decision to demolish the quarters was taken without any clear roadmap for future development. Initially, there was talk of constructing an extension to the ESI Hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore. However, no progress was made on the proposal. Later, discussions emerged about establishing paramedical and nursing colleges on the site. Another proposal suggested the construction of twin 20-storey towers to accommodate ESI staff. Yet, none of these plans moved beyond the discussion stage.

The entire ESI Hospital campus and the vacant land fall under the jurisdiction of the ESI Corporation's Director General's office under the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment. Despite two years passing since the demolition, employees say there has been no visible movement from the Delhi headquarters regarding the utilisation of the land.

They argue that if authorities had prepared a proper plan before clearing the quarters, substantial work could have been completed by now. Educational institutions or staff housing facilities could already have been benefiting Telangana residents and ESI employees.

Instead, the vacant land remains unused, overgrown with vegetation and occasionally being used for vehicle parking. Employees also complain that the deserted area has, at times, become a gathering spot for anti-social elements. The episode has become a glaring example of how the absence of planning and administrative indecision can disrupt hundreds of lives without delivering any promised development.