<div align="justify">With a large number of workers remaining outside the ambit of the Employees State Insurance Scheme (ESIC), a parliamentary panel has asked the government to increase the wage ceiling to include more in the social security programme.<br /><br />The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) led by senior Congress MP K V Thomas is also positive on the possibility of the ESIC admitting workers who can contribute voluntarily to the scheme, but only after putting in place the required infrastructure.<br /><br />At present, 67% or 1.86 crore of the 2.75 crore-strong organised workforce – which is only 4% of the of total workforce of 45.90 crore – is covered under the scheme. Employees can avail the ESIC benefits if their wages do not cross Rs 15,000 per month, or Rs 25,000 in case of disabled workers.<br /><br />The ESIC benefits include full medical facilities to insured workers and their dependants as well as cash compensation for any loss of wages in case of sickness, maternity and work-related injury.<br /><br />In its response, the Ministry of Labour and Employment said the ESIC is exploring the feasibility of bringing certain categories of the unorganised sector within its ambit.<br /><br />The committee felt that the ESIC should make all-out efforts to increase coverage of the workforce and ensure that its existing services and infrastructure are enough to deal with the insured workers and their dependants.<br /><br /></div>
<div align="justify">With a large number of workers remaining outside the ambit of the Employees State Insurance Scheme (ESIC), a parliamentary panel has asked the government to increase the wage ceiling to include more in the social security programme.<br /><br />The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) led by senior Congress MP K V Thomas is also positive on the possibility of the ESIC admitting workers who can contribute voluntarily to the scheme, but only after putting in place the required infrastructure.<br /><br />At present, 67% or 1.86 crore of the 2.75 crore-strong organised workforce – which is only 4% of the of total workforce of 45.90 crore – is covered under the scheme. Employees can avail the ESIC benefits if their wages do not cross Rs 15,000 per month, or Rs 25,000 in case of disabled workers.<br /><br />The ESIC benefits include full medical facilities to insured workers and their dependants as well as cash compensation for any loss of wages in case of sickness, maternity and work-related injury.<br /><br />In its response, the Ministry of Labour and Employment said the ESIC is exploring the feasibility of bringing certain categories of the unorganised sector within its ambit.<br /><br />The committee felt that the ESIC should make all-out efforts to increase coverage of the workforce and ensure that its existing services and infrastructure are enough to deal with the insured workers and their dependants.<br /><br /></div>
