Dimapur, June 2 (MExN): A meeting on implementation of Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme was held in June 1 last in Hotel Saramati. CJ Ponraj, IAS, Principal Secretary, Labour & Employment, Government of Nagaland, and P Baruah, Regional Director, ESIC Guwahati, amongst other officials attended the programme. The meeting witnessed some very animated arguments on issues related to Employees’ Provident Fund but the Principal Secretary, quite the diplomat, was quick to step in, and averting any argument from getting out of hand.
Employees’ State Insurance Scheme is a multidimensional social security system tailored to provide socio-economic protection to worker population and their dependants covered under the scheme. Besides full medical care for self and dependants, that is admissible from day one of insurable employment, the insured persons are also entitled to a variety of cash benefits in times of physical distress due to sickness, temporary or permanent disablement etc. resulting in loss of earning capacity, the confinement in respect of insured women, dependants of insured persons who die in industrial accidents or because of employment injury or occupational hazard are entitled to a monthly pension called the dependants benefit. ESIC is one of the largest comprehensive healthcare insurance units in the world having a tie-up with over 700 super-specialty hospitals all over India. ESI scheme cover any patient regardless of the previous medical condition, which is not the case with other private insurance company.
The Principal Secretary, talking during the meeting, told the gathering ‘jobs given by the government will not be enough’ and further asked, ‘How can the state government help in making an impact on the private sector?’ Talking on Social security, he said, ‘most small unorganized service sectors like schools, small shops, restaurants etc. cannot afford to give insurance to its employees’. Also dwelling on maternity benefits, the Principal Secretary said, women employed in the government sector can afford up to 6 months leave, while those employed in private sector would not be able to avail such long leave. CJ Ponraj then stated that the burden of employers in the small unorganized private sector has to be lessened so that employment in the private sector can be made attractive and viable. The Principal Secretary bemoaned the low number of people registered in the ESI scheme and said, ‘you have the problem, we have the solution, but you cannot avail of the solution and we do not have the satisfaction’. He further urged people to come forward and participate in the ESI scheme.
The participants of the meeting were very vocal in arguing for an ESIC office in Dimapur, reasoning that Nagaland as a state deserves, at the least, one Sub-regional office. P Baruah, Regional Director, ESIC Guwahati, replied saying that barely a thousand people had registered with ESIC and stated that they needed a minimum of 5000 people to be registered for the programme to be implemented properly and for a separate office to be set up in Dimapur. One of the participants shot back a question in reponse to the excuse saying, ‘ESIC was established in 2008 in Dimapur and how is it that you’re saying you have number of problems?’
Saying that an office in Dimapur was a requirement, the gathering lamented to the Principal Secretary about the EPF & Passport offices in Guwahati saying that, not only do people travel long distances, they also face hardships running from posts to pillars because of the lackadaisical attitude of the officials in Guwahati. One after the other, the participants lamented about the EPF scheme in the hope that the Principal Secretary would listen to their grievances and also in the hope that ESIC would listen and not turn out to function like EPF offices. The Principal Secretary assured that he would take up the cases on EPF with the EPF regional commissioner.
One participant questioning the ESIC officials asked ‘if a labourer/employee does not want to avail of the scheme, what would an employer do?’ further adding that, ‘Today, you say you’ll do this, or that, but we are powerless to do anything to you even if you do not do anything, whereas, if we do not do as you say, you would fine us.’
One of the ladies participating in the event though had something positive to say about ESIC, informing the gathering that, about 4-5 people from her organization had benefited from ESIC. However, she did admit that the time involved in reimbursing the money took 6-7 months.
Dr. Zhimomi, speaking to the gathering, informed that a separate dispensary for labourers will be functional in two months time. The dispensary will provide primary healthcare for complaints like headache, body pain, minor wounds etc. He further informed that one dispensary will be attached to Dimapur Hospital and another dispensary will be in 4th mile opposite the central jail.
