Parliament Question: ESIC Coverage and Healthcare facilities for Workers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3618 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.08.2026 ESIC COVERAGE AND HEALTHCARE FACILITIES FOR WORKERS

3618. SHRI PARIMAL SUKLABAIDYA:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to

state:

(a)the details of employees and establishments registered under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in Assam, district- wise, particularly for Cachar district;

(b)the details of steps taken by the Government to extend ESIC coverage to workers employed in tea gardens, small industries, plantations, construction and other unorganised sectors in Cachar district;

(c)whether the Government proposes to establish or upgrade ESIC hospitals, dispensaries and diagnostic facilities in Cachar district to improve access to quality healthcare for insured workers and their families and if so, the details thereof; and

(d)the details of measures taken by the Government to strengthen awareness, social security benefits, cashless treatment, maternity benefits, disability support and digital ESIC services for workers in Cachar district, especially those residing in rural and remote areas? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (d): The district-wise details of employees and establishments registered under the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in Assam is placed at Annexure.

The provisions of the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948 have been subsumed under the Code on Social Security, 2020, which came into force with effect from 21st November 2025. As per the First Schedule to the Code, Chapter IV relating to the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) applies to every establishment employing ten or more persons, other than a seasonal factory. It is further provided that an employer of a plantation, may opt the application of Chapter IV in respect of the plantation by giving willingness to the corporation, where the benefits available to the employees under that Chapter are better than what the employer is providing to them.

Contd..2/-:: 2 ::

At present, unorganised workers are not covered under the ESIC framework. However, Section 45 of the Code on Social Security, 2020 empowers the Central Government to frame a scheme for extending ESIC benefits to unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers.

Currently, there is one ESI Dispensary at Silchar, Cachar District for providing healthcare services to the Insured Persons and their families. At present, there is no proposal under consideration to establish any ESI Hospital, dispensary, diagnostic centre or upgrade exiting dispensary in that district.

ESIC has conducted 103 awareness camps in the Cachar district for awareness on various social security benefits including disability support under ESI Act. Also, a total amount of Rs. 19,91,814/- has been disbursed as Cash Benefit out of which Rs. 8,57,948/- was disbursed as Maternity Benefit during the Financial Year 2025-26 in the Cachar District. ESIC provides digital services in the form of Insured Person (IP) Portal which can be accessed by the IP from any location to submit his online claims of Cash Benefits and also to generate requests to change his particulars in the e-Pehchan card.

* *****ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3618 FOR 10.08.2026 BY SHRI PARIMAL SUKLABAIDYA REGARDING ESIC COVERAGE AND HEALTHCARE FACILITIES FOR WORKERS.

District-wise number of establishments and employees registered under ESIC in Assam:

S. No. Name of the District No. of Establishments No. of Employees

1. Baksa 70 302

2. Barpeta 1,307 2,981

3. Biswanath 46 288

4. Bongaigaon 1,210 8,017

5. Cachar 1,760 7,512

6. Charaideo 45 93

7. Chirang 249 1,262

8. Darrang 721 3,712

9. Dhemaji 241 625

10. Dhubri 844 2009

11. Dibrugarh 2,224 12,754

12. Dima Hasao 73 422

13. Goalpara 459 2,787

14. Golaghat 1,089 14,766

15. Hailakandi 355 1,245

16. Hojai 39 610

17. Jorhat 1,820 11,143

18. Kamrup 4,085 38,056

19. Kamrup Metropolitan 9,259 93,371

20. Karbi Anglong 353 1,184

21. Karimganj 237 1,092

22. Kokrajhar 508 1,151

23. Lakhimpur 641 1,511

24. Majuli 5 13

25. Marigaon 264 858

26. Morigaon 85 346

27. Nagaon 1,717 10,56428. Nalbari 686 2,859

29. Sibsagar 1,038 3,285

30. Sonitpur 1452 10,188

31. South Salmara 3 41

32. Tinsukia 5105 84,900

33. Udalguri 377 644

34. West Karbi Anglong 7 39 Total 38,374 3,20,630 (Source: ESIC Hqrs.) *****