Govt examining recommendation for raising wage ceiling for ESI

NEW DELHI: Government is examining a recommendation for raising of monthly wage ceiling for Employees State Insurance (ESI) coverage from Rs.6,500 at present to at least Rs.9,000 for extension of social security cover to a larger number of workers, Labour Minister Sahib Singh Verma said on Thursday.
The recommendation has been made by the ESI Corporation Review Committee set up to study the report of the 2nd National Commission on Labour pertaining to ESIC, he told reporters.
Verma said his Ministry would take at least a month''s time to study the wide ranging recommendations made by the Committee headed by labour expert M C Verma for overall improvement of services under the ESI scheme and widening the scope of social security network.
The Committee has also recommended extension of social protection under the ESI scheme to unorganised sector and bringing down the threshold of coverage from the present ten employees to five employees or more for coverage of factories and establishments under the ESI Act.
Replying to questions, the Labour Minister said a legislation for providing social security to 36 crore workers in the unorganised sector would be introduced in the Budget Session of Parliament, beginning next month.
At present 80 lakh people are insured under ESI and the total number of beneficiaries is 3.20 crore.