Chandigarh, Oct 24 (KNN) The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Mohali are highly disappointed with the poor facilities being provided to the insured workers at ESI Hospitals and Dispensaries in and around the region.

In this regard, the Mohali Industries Association (MIA) has filed a PIL in the Punjab And Haryana High Court against ESIC regarding poor facilities being provided to Insured Persons in ESI Hospitals / Dispensaries in an around Mohali.

“The ESI Scheme of India was introduced in 1952 as the country’s first multi-dimensional social security scheme for workers in the organized sector. The scheme is tailored to provide protection to workers in the organized sector and their dependents in contingencies such as sickness, disablement due to employment injury or occupational disease, death benefit and maternity,” MIA President Sanjeev Vashisht said.

Earlier, in a meeting held on 23rd June, 2016 with Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Minister for Labour and Employment during his visit to Chandigarh, Vashisht along with his ESI Committee Chairman Jasbir Singh and his team had met the Minister and handed over a memorandum related to recurring problems being faced by Employees who are covered under ESI Scheme.

The ESI Hospital in Mohali is ill-equipped and is unable to cater to the medical needs of the employees who are insured under ESI, he said.

The Hospital/Dispensaries in and around Mohali Areas neither have sufficient Doctors and supporting Staff nor have sufficient medicines/ surgery facilities which are the urgent and important requirements of industrial workers, the MSME entrepreneur added.

Approximately 1,45,000 insured persons are working in District Mohali and contribution of Rs.121.80 crore (approx.) is contributed by the insured persons to the ESIC every year, MIA highlighted.

The ESI Corporation has contribution income of Rs.10867.14 crore and expenditure of Rs.7510.65 crore. The total expenditure is around 7% of the total contribution income and ESIC has profit of 30% i.e. Rs.3356.49 crore. This has been published in the 2nd Generation Reforms Agenda published by ESI Corporation, pointed MIA.

However, there is no dispensary at Kurali, Gharuan, Sialba Majri, Banmajra and Phase 9 Industrial Area Mohali in District Mohali despite of the fact that large number of workers are working at units situated at these places. Hence the workers have been deprived of primary benefits i.e. medical benefits under ESI Act, Vshisht said.

 The next date for hearing has been fixed on 15th November, 2016. (KNN Bureau)