ESIC introduces Scheme to promote Employers/Employees Registration

New Delhi, Dec 17 (KNN) A new Scheme was introduced by ESIC to promote Registration of Employers/ Employees.

Bandaru Dattatreya, Minister of State for Labour and Employment (Independent Charge), government of India had chaired the 170th Meeting of ESIC to introduce the scheme.

Under the scheme ESIC has also approved enhancement of Ceiling on Medical Expenditure from rupees 2150 to   rupees 3000 per Insured Person with sub-ceiling of rupees 1250 for “Administration” and rupees 1750/- for “Others”.

It also approved its Annual Report and Annual Accounts for the year 2015-16. The enhanced ceiling of rupees 3000 will be fixed from 2017-2018 to 2019-2020 and reviewed annually from 2020-2021 on the basis of WPI and expenditure pattern of the States. 

The Minister announced that the ESI Scheme is on the path of sustained growth.  It is now catering to social security needs of more than 2.13 crores insured persons which is likely to increase too many folds’ in next two to three years.

In a view to extend the coverage to the entire workforce, a new Employer Friendly Scheme has also been approved. This is a one-time opportunity which involves various aspects as to encourage the employers to register themselves, encourage the employer to register employees, if any, who have been left out of coverage including contractual, casual, temporary etc.  The proposed Scheme will remain open for a period of three months from 1st January, 2017 to 31st March, 2017.

The proposed scheme shall have features like ‘Employers registering during the period will be treated as covered from the date of registration or as declared by them. The newly registered employees shall be treated as covered from the date of their registration. This will not have any bearing on actions taken/required under ESI Act, if any, prior to 1st January, 2017 and the Chairman of ESIC may be authorized to remove difficulties, if any, in implementing the Scheme.

The Minister also informed that Ministry of Labour & Employment and all its divisions along with ESIC have taken-up a special drive for getting the bank accounts opened for the workers. (KNN/RAS)