Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday paid tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on his 164th birth anniversary, and said the Nobel laureate’s creations have been illuminating the whole world.

Banerjee, in a post on X, also quoted a few lines from Tagore’s famous collection of poems ‘Gitanjali’ (Song Offerings).

“On the birth anniversary of poet Rabindranath Tagore, we pay our heartfelt respects and bow to him. We remember him not only on 25th Baishakh, but every day. He is in our direction, in our language, in our hope - in everything! The whole world is illuminated by the light of his creation,” the chief minister said.

Tagore’s birth anniversary is celebrated as ‘Rabindra Jayanti’ on 25th Baishakh, according to the Bengali calendar.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday inaugurated the newly constructed 100-bedded ESIC Hospital at Doddaballapur near here.

He also laid the foundation stone for a 100-bedded ESIC Hospital at Ballari, remotely from Doddaballapur.

Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje, Chikkaballapura MP K. Sudhakar, and Doddaballapur MP Dheeraj Muniraju were among those present.

These healthcare facilities mark a significant milestone in strengthening healthcare delivery under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme in the region, officials said at the event.

As a special gesture, the union minister of labour and employment also honoured construction workers who contributed to the development of the hospital and disbursed cash benefits to ESI beneficiaries during the event.

The Doddaballapur facility will serve over 1,42,037 insured workers and their families, benefiting approximately 5.5 lakh beneficiaries across Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru, and Kolar districts, according to a release.

The Ballari facility, upon completion, will cater to the medical needs of around 64,000 workers and their families, benefiting over 2 lakh beneficiaries in the Ballari division, it said.

The ESIC Hospital at Doddaballapur in Bengaluru Rural is a 100-bedded multi-speciality secondary care facility built over 5 acres at Rs 101.14 crore.

It has 32 staff quarters and offers key services such as general medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, orthopaedics, emergency care, and comprehensive diagnostic facilities, including radiology, laboratory, and blood bank.

The proposed ESIC Hospital at Ballari will be developed on 5.21 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore and will provide modern healthcare services to insured persons and their families under the ESI Scheme.