On a recent day in the Lok Sabha, Udupi Chikkamagaluru MP Kota Srinivasa Pujari urged the government to raise the salary limit for the Employees State Insurance (ESI) facility to Rs 35,000, benefiting poor workers in public institutions. Kota Srinivasa Pujari, who raised this issue under Rule 377, emphasized the need to increase the ESI salary limit to at least Rs 35,000. The ESI scheme provides vital health insurance to workers in the public sector, with many families relying on it for healthcare. However, the current income limit of Rs 21,000 per month restricts access to the scheme. With the recent increase in minimum wages in government and non-government organizations, many workers earning above Rs 21,000 are now ineligible for ESI benefits. Kota Srinivasa Pujari pointed out that the scheme is jointly funded by employees and employers, eliminating the need for central and state governments to allocate additional funds. Given the rising minimum wages, he cautioned that failing to revise the ESI wage limit would lead to many workers being excluded from medical services and health insurance coverage, even with minor wage increases.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Kundapra