Govt to bring domestic workers under ESIC fold

As part of its vision to provide health insurance for all, the Government will bring domestic workers under the Employee’s State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) fold and soon launch pilot projects in Delhi and Hyderabad in this regard, Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said on Saturday.

“As part of the social security, domestic workers would be brought under the Employee’s State Insurance Corporation. So, for the first time in the country, we will be taking up two pilot projects — in Delhi and Hyderabad. There are two components. One is employee contribution and the other one is employer contribution,” Dattatreya told reporters here. “We will organise a workshop with all the stakeholders soon, in this regard to finalise the modalities,” said the Minister. According to him, the scheme will benefit about one crore domestic workers in the country.

He also said the Group of Ministers led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has also earlier discussed how to bring Asha and Anganwadi workers under Employee’s State Insurance Corporation and offer Provident Fund services. “A committee will be set up with Joint Secretaries of Ministries of Human Resource Development (HRD), Health and Women and Child Welfare as members and a senior official form the Ministry of Labour as convener. This committee will also take part in the workshop we proposed to hold on domestic workers,” the Minister further said.

Dattatreya also said he will examine the implementation of recommendations of Majthia Wage Board for working journalists. Replying to a query, on the ongoing agitation by Home Guards in Telangana, the minister said the state government should concentrate on solving their problems.