ESI Limits and rates thereon

[Ashwani Rustagi]

Effective from 01-January-2017, for deduction of ESI, salary limit has been increased from INR 15,000/- to INR 21,000/-. There was also proposal for reduction ESI rate from existing rate of 1.75% for employee and 4.75% for employers. Is there any update on this?

[Ganeshan Kalyani]

In my view there is no amendment for rate.

[YAGAY andSUN]

The rates are revised from time to time. Currently, the employee's contribution rate (w.e.f. 1.1.97) is 1.75% of the wages and that of employer's is 4.75% of the wages paid/payable in respect of the employees in every wage period.

[Ganeshan Kalyani]

Yes the cumulative rate comes to 6.5%. Since long it was not amended.

[DR.MARIAPPAN GOVINDARAJAN]

Yes, there is no amendment in this regard.

[YAGAY andSUN]

Centre plans to lower ESI contribution rate to 4%

The Centre has proposed a reduced rate of contribution from companies towards the health insurance scheme for workers in areas where it plans to set up a dispensary or a hospital for the first time.

393 districts: The ministry has proposed that employers contribute four per cent, instead of 6.5 per cent of a worker’s income towards the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme, as per the draft rules dated July 25, reviewed by The Hindu. At present, the ESI Corporation has a presence in certain parts of 393 districts of the country.

The corporation has plans to cover all the states and expand the scheme to India’s 683 districts by March next year. ESIC is present in all states, except the north-eastern states of Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.

Workers drawing salary up to ₹ 15,000 per month are entitled to medical benefits for treatment during incidences of sickness, maternity, disability and death due to injury during work. The ESI Act applies to factories with 10 or more workers and it is also applicable to shops, hotels, restaurants, cinemas and road transport undertakings.

While 4.75 per cent of a worker’s salary goes towards ESI as employer’s contribution, 1.75 per cent of the income goes as the employee’s share. This is proposed to be decreased to three per cent and one per cent for two years, respectively.

“Our plan is to expand ESI to all parts of the country. Since the medical facilities at places where we want to open a new dispensary or hospital will not be at par with our established units, we have decided to take less contribution from companies for a period of two years,” said a senior ESIC official, on condition of anonymity.

March 2017: The official said it would cover all parts of 393 districts by September-end this year and the entire country by March next year. Trade unions suggested that ESI Corporation collaborate with private hospitals in the new areas to provide full medical treatment to workers.

“We welcome the expansion of ESI services to all the districts,” said AITUC Secretary DL Sachdev, “But taking less contribution means workers would not be provided full medical facilities that are otherwise available in the 393 districts. They should provide full facilities by tying up with private hospitals to ensure all medical treatments are available.”

AI Summary

ESI contribution rates under review: proposal to lower employer and employee shares during scheme expansion. The document notes an elevated wage threshold for ESI deduction effective 1 January 2017 and records no formal amendment to existing contribution rates; it also describes a government proposal to temporarily lower employer and employee contribution shares in areas where the scheme is being newly established to account for limited initial medical infrastructure, while confirming that workers below the entitlement wage remain eligible for medical and related benefits and that the Employees' State Insurance regime applies to factories with ten or more workers and specified other establishments.