Firms having less than 10 employees to be covered under ESIC

Government is in the process of providing ESIC services to establishments having less than 10 employees and a committee has been formed to widen the scope of the facility.
"Presently, ESIC coverage is given to establishments having 10 or more employees. Now, we are going to give ESIC coverage for establishments having less than 10 workers.
"For this, a mechanism has to be developed. We have formed a committee to look into all aspects of it," Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said in a media briefing on ESIC schemes here today.
Dattatreya said the Ministry will extend the Employees' State Insurance Scheme (ESIC) coverage to construction site workers by April, 2016.

For unorganised workers in self employed categories such as auto rickshaw drivers, car drivers, rickshaw pullers, the Ministry will cover them under ESIC by November 30 in selected urban/metropolitan areas.
On pilot basis, the proposal is to start in Delhi and Hyderabad by November 30, 2015.

Further, ESIC will extend the cover in three north-eastern states of Mizoram, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh in addition to union territory Andaman & Nicobar Island by the end of December.
Of other things, ESIC presently covers 830 centres of major industrial or commercial clusters involving 2.03 insured persons (IPs) in 393 districts, and government will extend it to cover whole of these districts by March 2016.

Dattatreya also said that 24 ESIC dispensaries have been identified for upgradation to 30 bed hospital, e-health records to enable IPs and their family members to view e-prescriptions and tests reports online and tele medicine services.
The Ministry will also implement 24X7 medical helpline facility at 1800 11 3839, oncology and cardiology facility in hospitals by December 31, dialysis facility in all ESIC Model Hospitals on PPP model by December and AYUSH facilities to all dispensaries in phases.
He also said that a special OPD for senior citizens has been launched already.
Dattatreya said the government has taken new initiatives in the second generation of reforms in ESIC.