The Minister of State for Labour and Employment (Independent Charge) Shri Bandaru Dattatreya has chaired Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting attached to his Ministry here yesterday. The agenda of the meeting was Discussion on ESIC.
On the Occasion, the Minister said that the number of insured person covered under the ESI Scheme is 1.95 crores. The number of beneficiaries covered under the Scheme has gone upto 7.58 crores. He said that the ESIC has disbursed Rs. 598.69 crores as benefits in cash in the year 2013-14. The number of Cash Benefits payments has gone upto 30.94 lakhs during the year 2013-14. Almost all cases of cash payments are now being made through ECS in the field offices. Contribution income of ESIC during 2013-14 has increase to Rs. 9632.54 crores and revenue recovery of Rs. 186.07 crores has been made, the Minister added.
Shri Dattatreya informed that the medical care under the Scheme is administered by the State governments except in Delhi. The Corporation also directly runs 36 hospitals as on 31.10.2014. During the year 2013-14, an expenditure of Rs. 4859.90 crores was incurred on Medical Benefit. The ceiling on medical expenditure to be reimbursed to the States has been raised from Rs. 1500/- per year to Rs. 2000/- per IP per year, he said.
The Labour and Employment Minister informed that the Inspection Scheme of ESIC has been integrated with Shram Suvidha Portal of the Ministry of Labour and Employment wherein 13 Central Acts, DGMs and EPF Act are aligned. It aims to achieve the objective of simplifying business regulations and bringing in transparency and accountability in labour inspections.
The Director General of ESIC, Shri A.K. Agarwal gave a brief presentation covering all the aspects such as Medical Benefits, Cash Benefits, Contribution, Expenditure on Medical Care, Recovery of Arrears, Setting up of Model Hospitals & ESIC Hospitals, covering of more and more workers in the different States.
The Members of the Committee praised the steps taken by the ESIC for the benefits of the workers and discussed various issues concern ESIC including increasing the benefits to the workers in all areas. They suggested that the contributed money should be spent for the betterment of the workers health. Members also suggested that the good quality medicines and Super Speciality treatment should be given to Insured Persons.
Members of the Parliament, Shri N.K. Premachandran, Shri Sankar Prasad Datta, Shri Manohar Untwal, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Shri Dushyant Singh and Shri M.K. Raghavan from Lok Sabha were present on the occasion. The Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms. Gauri Kumar and other senior officers of Ministry and ESIC were also present in the meeting.
On the Occasion, the Minister said that the number of insured person covered under the ESI Scheme is 1.95 crores. The number of beneficiaries covered under the Scheme has gone upto 7.58 crores. He said that the ESIC has disbursed Rs. 598.69 crores as benefits in cash in the year 2013-14. The number of Cash Benefits payments has gone upto 30.94 lakhs during the year 2013-14. Almost all cases of cash payments are now being made through ECS in the field offices. Contribution income of ESIC during 2013-14 has increase to Rs. 9632.54 crores and revenue recovery of Rs. 186.07 crores has been made, the Minister added.
Shri Dattatreya informed that the medical care under the Scheme is administered by the State governments except in Delhi. The Corporation also directly runs 36 hospitals as on 31.10.2014. During the year 2013-14, an expenditure of Rs. 4859.90 crores was incurred on Medical Benefit. The ceiling on medical expenditure to be reimbursed to the States has been raised from Rs. 1500/- per year to Rs. 2000/- per IP per year, he said.
The Labour and Employment Minister informed that the Inspection Scheme of ESIC has been integrated with Shram Suvidha Portal of the Ministry of Labour and Employment wherein 13 Central Acts, DGMs and EPF Act are aligned. It aims to achieve the objective of simplifying business regulations and bringing in transparency and accountability in labour inspections.
The Director General of ESIC, Shri A.K. Agarwal gave a brief presentation covering all the aspects such as Medical Benefits, Cash Benefits, Contribution, Expenditure on Medical Care, Recovery of Arrears, Setting up of Model Hospitals & ESIC Hospitals, covering of more and more workers in the different States.
The Members of the Committee praised the steps taken by the ESIC for the benefits of the workers and discussed various issues concern ESIC including increasing the benefits to the workers in all areas. They suggested that the contributed money should be spent for the betterment of the workers health. Members also suggested that the good quality medicines and Super Speciality treatment should be given to Insured Persons.
Members of the Parliament, Shri N.K. Premachandran, Shri Sankar Prasad Datta, Shri Manohar Untwal, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Shri Dushyant Singh and Shri M.K. Raghavan from Lok Sabha were present on the occasion. The Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms. Gauri Kumar and other senior officers of Ministry and ESIC were also present in the meeting.
