ESIC to Establish Sub-Regional Office in Rajasthan

• 07 Mar 2024

Why in News?

Recently in the 231^st Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), a decision was taken to establish a Sub-Regional Office at Alwar, Rajasthan.

Key Points

• Around 12 Lakh Insured Workers and beneficiaries of ESI Scheme residing in the districts of Alwar, Khairthal-Tijara, Kothputilli-Behror, Bharatpur and Deeg will be benefited with establishment of a new ESIC Sub-Regional Office at Alwar.
• At total estimated cost of Rs.1128.21 crore is approved for the construction of 7 new ESI Hospitals at Harohalli, Narsapura, Bommasandra (Karnataka), Meerut, Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), Pithampur (Madhya Pradesh) and Duburi (Odisha) was also accorded during the meeting.

Employees’ State Insurance Corporation

• Employees’ state Insurance Corporation of India is a multidimensional social system which provides socio-economic protection to the worker population and immediate dependent or family covered under the Employees' State Insurance Scheme (ESI) scheme.
• The ESI is an integrated measure of social Insurance embodied in the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948.
• ESI is designed to accomplish the task of protecting employees against the impact of incidences of sickness, maternity, disablement and death due to employment injury and to provide medical care to insured persons and their families.
• Coverage of the Scheme:
  • The ESI Scheme applies to factories and other establishment's viz. Road Transport, Hotels, Restaurants, Cinemas, Newspaper, Shops, and Educational/Medical Institutions wherein 10 or more persons are employed.
    • However, in some States the threshold limit for coverage of establishments is still 20.
  • Employees of the aforesaid categories of factories and establishments, drawing wages upto Rs. 15,000/- a month, are entitled to social security cover under the ESI Act.
    • However, ESI Corporation has also decided to enhance the wage ceiling for coverage of employees under the ESI Act from Rs. 15,000/- to Rs. 21,000/-.
  • ESI Corporation has extended the benefits of the ESI Scheme to the workers deployed on the construction sites located in the implemented areas under ESI Scheme from 1st August, 2015.
    • The ESI Scheme is implemented district wise.
    • It is now notified in 526 Districts in 34 States and Union Territories.