Reforms in the EPF and ESI: Rajya Sabha QA

Reforms in the EPF and ESI: Rajya Sabha QA

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 95
TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2023

REFORMS IN THE EPF AND ESI

95. # SMT. SEEMA DWIVEDI:

Will the Minister of Labour and Employment be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government is considering to bring some kind of reforms in the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) and Employee State Insurance (ESI) for the better future of labourers working in the unorganized sector across the country;

(b) if so, the details of the process thereof;

(c) the details of labourers working in the unorganized sector during the last 5 years across the country, State-wise, and

(d)the number of labourers covered under EPF and ESI across the country so far,state-wise?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a) to (d): The Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions (EPF & MP) Act, 1952 is applicable to factories and notified classes of establishment employing twenty or more employees with monthly EPF wages up to Rs.15,000/- per month. Similarly, the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Act, 1948 is applicable to all factories and establishments employing ten or more persons working in organized sector drawing wages up to Rs. 21000/- (Rs. 25,000/- for persons with disabilities).

The Code on Social Security, 2020 (the Code) notified on 29.09.2020 and envisages, inter-alia, framing of schemes for unorganised workers. Further, the Code for the first time enables an establishment having less than ten persons to join ESIC on voluntary basis. The provisions of the Code relating to Employees’ Provident Fund is applicable to every establishment in which 20 or more employees are employed without any reference to scheduled establishments.

The Government has launched e-Shram portal on 26.08.2021 for registration and creation of a Comprehensive National Database of Unorganized Workers. The details of State/UT-wise count of unorganised workers registered on e-Shram portal as on 13th July, 2023 are at Annexure-I.

There are 6.85 crores EPF contributing members [Universal Account Numbers (UANs contributed at least once)] in Financial Year 2022-2023, the State/UT-wise details are at Annexure-II. The State/UT-wise details of number of Labourers covered under ESI Scheme are at Annexure-III.

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Annexure-I 

Sl. No.	State/UT	Total Registration (As on 13th July 2023)
1	ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS	29,109
2	ANDHRA PRADESH	79,93,131
3	ARUNACHAL PRADESH	1,42,395
4	ASSAM	69,77,606
5	BIHAR	2,86,28,531
6	CHANDIGARH	1,74,548
7	CHHATTISGARH	83,20,247
8	DELHI	32,63,970
9	GOA	63,122
10	GUJARAT	1,13,34,388
11	HARYANA	52,70,537
12	HIMACHAL PRADESH	19,29,421
13	JAMMU AND KASHMIR	34,02,936
14	JHARKHAND	92,04,463
15	KARNATAKA	76,23,738
16	KERALA	59,11,220
17	LADAKH	30,854
18	LAKSHADWEEP	2,455
19	MADHYA PRADESH	1,71,21,425
20	MAHARASHTRA	1,36,80,517
21	MANIPUR	4,06,779
22	MEGHALAYA	3,01,257
23	MIZORAM	58,614
24	NAGALAND	2,19,942
25	ODISHA	1,33,42,365
26	PUDUCHERRY	1,78,944
27	PUNJAB	55,06,500
28	RAJASTHAN	1,29,57,097
29	SIKKIM	30,673
30	TAMIL NADU	84,70,282
31	TELANGANA	42,06,937
32	THE DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI AND DAMAN & DIU	73,256
33	TRIPURA	8,51,823
34	UTTAR PRADESH	8,30,59,043
35	UTTARAKHAND	29,79,437
36	WEST BENGAL	2,58,52,865
	Total	28,96,00,427

Annexure-II 

Sl. No.	State/UT	Total Registration (As on 13th July 2023)
1	ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS	29,109
2	ANDHRA PRADESH	79,93,131
3	ARUNACHAL PRADESH	1,42,395
4	ASSAM	69,77,606
5	BIHAR	2,86,28,531
6	CHANDIGARH	1,74,548
7	CHHATTISGARH	83,20,247
8	DELHI	32,63,970
9	GOA	63,122
10	GUJARAT	1,13,34,388
11	HARYANA	52,70,537
12	HIMACHAL PRADESH	19,29,421
13	JAMMU AND KASHMIR	34,02,936
14	JHARKHAND	92,04,463
15	KARNATAKA	76,23,738
16	KERALA	59,11,220
17	LADAKH	30,854
18	LAKSHADWEEP	2,455
19	MADHYA PRADESH	1,71,21,425
20	MAHARASHTRA	1,36,80,517
21	MANIPUR	4,06,779
22	MEGHALAYA	3,01,257
23	MIZORAM	58,614
24	NAGALAND	2,19,942
25	ODISHA	1,33,42,365
26	PUDUCHERRY	1,78,944
27	PUNJAB	55,06,500
28	RAJASTHAN	1,29,57,097
29	SIKKIM	30,673
30	TAMIL NADU	84,70,282
31	TELANGANA	42,06,937
32	THE DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI AND DAMAN & DIU	73,256
33	TRIPURA	8,51,823
34	UTTAR PRADESH	8,30,59,043
35	UTTARAKHAND	29,79,437
36	WEST BENGAL	2,58,52,865
	Total	28,96,00,427

Annexure-II

Details of Contributing UANs at least once in FY 22-23
Sl. No.	State/UT	Contributing Members
1	ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS	21,275
2	ANDHRA PRADESH	16,24,653
3	ARUNACHAL PRADESH	11,587
4	ASSAM	3,65,918
5	BIHAR	11,77,221
6	CHANDIGARH	6,38,985
7	CHHATTISGARH	7,05,116
8	DELHI	43,77,977
9	GOA	2,67,715
10	GUJARAT	48,11,660
11	HARYANA	39,94,141
12	HIMACHAL PRADESH	4,80,080
13	JAMMU AND KASHMIR	2,05,187
14	JHARKHAND	7,20,917
15	KARNATAKA	84,22,436
16	KERALA	13,69,726
17	LADAKH	2,384
18	MADHYA PRADESH	15,72,984
19	MAHARASHTRA	1,43,39,441
20	MANIPUR	18,084
21	MEGHALAYA	43,008
22	MIZORAM	4,465
23	NAGALAND	11,713
24	ODISHA	11,26,899
25	PUNJAB	9,39,714
26	RAJASTHAN	18,83,766
27	SIKKIM	33,445
28	TAMIL NADU	73,92,661
29	TELANGANA	42,35,110
30	TRIPURA	33,639
31	UTTAR PRADESH	34,51,727
32	UTTARAKHAND	8,23,450
33	WEST BENGAL	34,38,663
Grand Total		6,85,45,747

Annexure-III 

S. No.	State/UT	Insured Persons as on 31.03.2022
1	ANDHRA PRADESH	1217420
2	ASSAM, MEGHALYA, NAGALAND, TRIPURA, MANIPUR, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH	300020
3	BIHAR	358980
4	CHANDIGARH	130200
5	CHHATTISGARH	506750
6	DELHI	1328320
7	GOA	172650
8	GUJARAT	1568900
9	HARYANA	2319520
10	HIMACHAL PRADESH	346160
11	JAMMU & KASHMIR	122960
12	JHARKHAND	425620
13	KARNATAKA	2963220
14	KERALA	945260
15	MADHYA PRADESH	967000
16	MAHARASHTRA	3990490
17	ODISHA	741560
18	PUDUCHERRY	104520
19	PUNJAB	1216430
20	RAJASTHAN	1336380
21	SIKKIM	28340
22	TAMIL NADU & A N ISLANDS	3560310
23	TELANGANA	1564130
24	UTTAR PRADESH	2365560
25	UTTARAKHAND	604560
26	WEST BENGAL	1835310
	Total	31020570

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