ESIC scheme adds 9.3L members in August

New Delhi: Around 9.30 lakh new members joined ESIC-run social security scheme in August, against 7.55 lakh in the previous month, official data showed on Friday, giving a perspective on formal sector employment in the country. The latest data is part of a report released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Friday.

Gross new enrolments with the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) were registered at 8.21 lakh in June, 4.84 lakh in May and 2.61 lakh in April, showing an increase in enrolments after easing of lockdown. The government had imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 25 to contain the spread of coronavirus infections. Restrictions were eased from June.

In March, as many as 8.21 lakh new members had joined the scheme run by ESIC, against 11.83 lakh subscribers in February, according to the payroll data released in May.

The NSO report showed gross enrolments of new subscribers with ESIC were 1.51 crore in 2019-20, against 1.49 crore in the previous fiscal.

During the period September 2017 to March 2018, around 83.35 lakh new subscribers had joined the ESIC scheme.

The report said gross new enrolments with ESIC during September 2017 - August 2020 period were 4.17 crore.

The NSO report is based on the payroll data of new subscribers of various social security schemes run by ESIC, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). It has been releasing such data of these bodies since April 2018, covering the period starting from September 2017.

According to the report, net new enrolments with retirement fund body EPFO stood at 10.05 lakh in August, up from 7.48 lakh in July.

Latest data showed that net new enrolments in April were in the negative zone at (-) 1,04,608 against the (-) 61,807 in September. This means that the number of members who exited the EPFO subscription was more than those who joined or rejoined the scheme.

Meanwhile, ESIC has extended its health insurance scheme ESI to Arunachal Pradesh.

"In its continuous endeavour to cover more workers under ESI Scheme, Government of India has now extended the Employees State Insurance (ESI) Scheme for the first time to Arunachal Pradesh, with effect from 1st November, 2020," a labour ministry statement said.

A notification to this effect has been issued by the Central Government for notifying the district of Papum Pare, under ESI Scheme.