The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) established for the welfare of workers has completed 75 years of service and it is time that workers in the unorganised sectors like petrol bunks are also brought under its purview, said CITU district general secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar.
In a statement issued here on Sunday (February 22, 2026), he alleged that the managements of some private organisations were not extending the ESI benefit to their staff, particularly, contract workers. These workers should also be brought under the ambit of ESI, he added.
He claimed that the number of industries and commercial establishments had increased manifold over the years, leading to a tremendous rise in the number of workers. Therefore, the number of dispensaries should be increased in proportion to the growth in the workforce.
Mr. Kumar noted that even the existing ESI dispensaries were facing shortages of doctors, nursing staff, sanitary workers, and medicines. He said that although the ESI had funds amounting to thousands of crores of rupees, collected from employees and workers, the corporation was neglecting their health.
He demanded immediate opening of new dispensaries, posting of doctors and staff, and sufficient availability of medicines.
Mr. Kumar lamented that although the proposed ESI Super Speciality Hospital in Visakhapatnam would benefit thousands of ESI subscribers in the region, its construction has been progressing at a snail’s pace for the past 11 years. He demanded that the proposed attached medical college be constructed in Vizag and urged the government to drop the proposal to shift the ESI Hospital to Amaravati.
He underlined the need to increase the upper ceiling on wages at ₹21,000 per month, which was fixed several years ago, for being eligible for the ESI scheme, as the wages had increased in tune with the spiralling prices of essential commodities.
Published – February 22, 2026 06:42 pm IST
