The government has directed the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) to expand its social security scheme in 744 districts across the country by December this year. The expansion plan must take into account the increase in the beneficiary base, as well as the situation after the implementation of the new social security legislation.

Currently, 443 districts have fully implemented the ESI plan, 153 communities have partially implemented it, and 148 districts have not been included in the ESI plan.

The ESI scheme is available to all factories and other establishments employing ten or more employees and earning no more than Rs 21,000 per month. In a contribution plan, the employer contributes 3.25%, and the employee contributes 0.75%.

ESIC provides free medical care to its members or Insured Persons (IPs) and their family members (called beneficiaries). As of March 31, 2021, ESIC IP and the number of beneficiaries were 34 million and 131 million, respectively.

Participating in ESIC’s two-day brainstorming event, Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav also directed ESIC to provide cashless healthcare to its beneficiaries through Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojna (ABPMJAY) hospitals in all regions of the country.