The Centre has allocated Rs. 1,900 crore for the implementation of ‘Panchadeep’ e-governance programme in the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), said Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya.
Enrolment of insured persons in biometric system as per the WHO standards, installation of computers at all ESIC locations, connecting all ESI offices with headquarters and computerisation of hospital information system, enterprise resource planning and accounts would be taken up under the programme, Mr. Dattatreya said here on Sunday.
He said that the government had increased the wage ceiling from Rs. 6,500 to Rs. 15,000 for ESI coverage, expenditure on insured persons from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000 and remuneration for insurance medical practitioners in rural areas from Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 per patient.
The number of total insured persons was 1.95 crore and including their dependents, the total number of beneficiaries was 7.55 crore, he explained.
On the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the Minister said it had an un-operational amount of over Rs. 28,000 crore and the government was thinking on putting it to better use for employees’ welfare.
In all, 29 lakh EPFO members working in 4,30,977 establishments were allotted universal account numbers (UAN) out of 7.41 lakh establishments that were issued labour identification numbers (LIN).
To bring about transparency in the inspection of establishments, complaint-based inspections were being done after examining the complaints centrally and determining the units for inspection based on data and evidence, the Minister said.
