Parliament Question: Beneficiaries under ESIC in Himachal Pradesh

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5951 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026 BENEFICIARIES UNDER ESIC IN HIMACHAL PRADESH †5951. SHRI SURESH KUMAR KASHYAP: Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state: (a) the total number of insured workers and beneficiaries under the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in Himachal Pradesh, especially in Kala Amb, Paonta Sahib and Baddi- Nalagarh industrial areas of Shimla Lok Sabha Constituency, as on January 2026; (b) the status of progress made in expanding the coverage of ESI and bringing a larger segment of the workforce in formal sector under the Special Registration Drive-2025 in the said areas; (c) whether there is any proposal to expand ESI hospitals, dispensaries and specialized medical facilities in the said areas in view of the increasing number of workers; and (d) the details of measure taken by the Government to make the processes of registration and claim settlement under the ESI scheme completely digitized, streamlined and time-bound? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE) (a): The total number of Insured Persons (IPs) and beneficiaries under Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in Himachal Pradesh as on 31.3.2025 are 4,15,570 and 16,12,412 respectively. The details of number of IPs and beneficiaries in Kala Amb, Paonta Sahib and baddi-Nalagarh are as under: Contd..2/-::2:: No. of Name of the Branch Office No. of Insured Persons Beneficiaries Baddi 1,90,396 7,38,736 Kala Amb 24,958 96,837 Nalagarh 40,481 1,57,066 Paonta Sahib 28,203 1,09,428 (b): ESIC has launched the Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers/Employees (SPREE, 2025) for the period from 1st July 2025 to 31st January, 2026 to offer a one-time opportunity for employers and employees who may have been inadvertently left out from ESI coverage to register without concern for retrospective coverage or punitive action. Total 1,38,718 new employers and 1,12,72,772 employees have been added across the country, during the Scheme till 31.01.2026 including 1598 new employers and 1,24,872 new employees in the state of Himachal Pradesh. (c): No proposals for new hospitals or medical facilities in Kala Amb, Paonta Sahib, Baddi-Nalagarh and Shimla industrial areas have been received from the State Government of Himachal Pradesh. However, ESIC has expanded healthcare infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh, including a newly inaugurated 30-bedded hospital in Kala Amb (upgradable to 100 beds) which is set to benefit over 50,000 beneficiaries in Sirmaur district. Medical services are currently provided across the State through three ESI hospitals at Baddi, Kala Amb and Parwanoo and through 17 dispensaries. (d): ESIC has implemented a comprehensive digital platform to streamline social security services across India, including Himachal Pradesh. The platform offers end-to-end online services to all stakeholders viz. employers, insured persons, ESIC personnel, third- party service providers, government agencies and suppliers, integrating key functions such as registration, contribution payments, cash benefit disbursement, medical services, and inventory management. *****