Amnesty for employees, companies charged with abusing ESI scheme

NEW DELHI: The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation has offered an amnesty scheme to employees and employers facing prosecution at various courts for allegedly abusing the insurance scheme.

The scheme would grant amnesty to employees who allegedly gave wrong declarations for excess payment and their employers facing prosecution under sections 84, 85 and 85-A of the ESI Act.

Both the parties have to fulfil certain conditions. Employees will have to re-pay the entire amount paid in excess and the employers have to remit the amount recoverable from them with interest. Also, both have to give an undertaking that this would not be repeated in future.

The scheme would be available for six months from August 1, according to BC Bhardwaj, additional commissioner and regional director of ESIC.