Parliament Question: EPFO/ESIC Coverage in Nandyal

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*101 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27TH JULY, 2026 EPFO/ESIC COVERAGE IN NANDYAL *101. DR. BYREDDY SHABARI: Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state: (a) the details of the Government assessment regarding the employment potential arising from the large-scale industrial investments coming up in the Rayalaseema region, including Nandyal district; (b) the steps being taken by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) to expand coverage and set up local offices/facilitation centres for the new industrial units coming up in Nandyal district; (c) whether any mechanism is being put in place in coordination with the State Government or industry bodies, to ensure that local youth are given adequate priority in employment generated by the said units; (d) if so, the details of such mechanism, including any skill-mapping or local-employment linkage scheme; and (e) the time-frame by which EPFO/ESIC coverage expansion for the said upcoming units in Nandyal district is expected to be operationalised? ANSWER MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA) (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *101 DUE FOR REPLY ON 27.07.2026 BY DR. BYREDDY SHABARI, M.P. REGARDING “EPFO/ESIC COVERAGE IN NANDYAL” (a): The Central Government promotes industrial investments through initiatives such as PM Gati Shakti, the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes and the National Single Window System (NSWS), which improve infrastructure, logistics, and ease of doing business, thereby facilitating industrial growth and employment generation. As per the information received from Government of Andhra Pradesh, based on MoUs entered in 2025 at Partnership Summit (PS)- 2025 and State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) approved projects, the proposed/ committed investment of ₹8.39 Lakh Crore across 269 companies, which is projected to generate 4.78 Lakh jobs. Multiple districts in Rayalaseema region have proposed/ committed investments of ₹3.79 Lakh Crore across 34 companies, while Nandyal district has proposed/ committed investment of ₹0.11 lakh crore across 8 companies. Further, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes have been launched across 14 key sectors with an objective to enhance manufacturing competitiveness, attract investment, promote scale, and strengthen integration with global value chains. As of 31st March 2026, these schemes have resulted in actual investments of over ₹ 2.40 lakh crore, production/sales exceeding ₹ 22.66 lakh crore and employment generation of over 14.15 lakh persons (direct and indirect) in the country. These outcomes indicate contribution of the schemes towards expanding manufacturing capacity, increasing production, strengthening industrial ecosystems, and improving the competitiveness of participating sectors. The Government promotes employment opportunities for local youth through close coordination with State Governments and industry bodies. Skill development initiatives, apprenticeship programmes, employment facilitation services, and industry partnerships are implemented to enhance the employability of local youth in line with the skill requirements of new industrial units.District Skill Committees (DSCs), established across all States/UTs are mandated with formulating District Skill Development Plans (DSDPs) to support decentralized, grassroots-level skill planning by identifying local employment opportunities, skilling demand, and available training infrastructure. Government skill programmes are then designed to bridge these identified skill gaps across sectors. The Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), led by industry experts, regularly conduct skill gap studies to assess sector-wise skill needs and set competency standards, which guide government interventions to align the workforce with industry requirements. Additionally, the SANKALP (Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion)-supported National Skill Gap Study by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) provides a standardized, data-driven framework to assess skill gaps across seven high-growth sectors. It helps MSDE align skilling initiatives with industry demand and future workforce needs. The National Career Service (NCS) Portal is a one-stop solution for providing career related services including jobs from private and government sectors, information on online & offline job fairs, job search & matching, career counselling, vocational guidance, information on skill development courses, skill/training programmes etc. through a digital platform [www.ncs.gov.in] to all stakeholders across the country. (b) to (e): Establishing or upgrading of EPFO offices is decided on the basis of workload, coverage, member strength, administrative feasibility and overall service delivery requirements. EPFO had also undertaken a nationwide exercise recently for rationalization of Offices with the objective of balancing workload amongst various Regional Offices and enhancing service efficiency. EPFO has taken the following steps to expand coverage and ensuring the enrolment of all eligible employees including in Rayalaseema region and Nandyal district: - (i) Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY): The Government has introduced the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) to promote employment generation and further strengthen formalization of the workforce. The scheme incentivizes both employers and eligible employees, thereby encouraging the creation of new jobs, increasing EPF registrations, and expanding social security coverage.(ii) Employees' Enrolment Campaign: EPFO launched Employees' Enrolment Campaign-2025 to provide a special window for employers to voluntarily enrol eligible employees who were left out from EPF coverage between 01.07.2017 and 31.10.2025. Further, EPFO again launched Employees' Enrolment Campaign- 2026 for employers to voluntarily enrol eligible employees, who were left out from EPF coverage during the period 01.04.2009 to 31.03.2026. As per the EPFO data under the Regional Office, Kadapa, 376 establishments with 5203 employees have taken benefits of Employees Enrolment Campaign, 2025. The Rayalaseema Region of Andhra Pradesh is under the jurisdiction of Regional Office, Kadapa. (iii) Common registration through Shram Suvidha portal and Auto- registration for new companies incorporated under Companies Act through MCA Portal: As a part of ease of doing business, Shram Suvidha Portal, a unified platform, was introduced by Ministry of Labour & Employment, whereby any establishment seeking registration under EPF & MP Act could register online by furnishing the necessary data and documents. In order to further facilitate Ease of Doing Business, in case of companies, from February 2020, auto registration under EPFO is being done for Public and Private Limited Companies and One Person Companies at Ministry of Corporate Affairs registration portal through Spice+ and AGILE- PRO e-forms. (iv) Self-generation of Universal Account Number (UAN) by Workers: To ensure coverage of all workers, a facility has been launched on 01.11.2019 through which workers could self-generate their Universal Account Number (UAN) for enrolment as members of the social security schemes under EPFO. (v) UAN Generation through Face Authentication Technology (FAT): In April 2025, EPFO introduced Universal Account Number (UAN) generation and activation using Aadhaar Face Authentication Technology (FAT) through the UMANG Mobile App. This contactless and secure service marks a major leap in providing hassle-free and fully digital experiences to EPFO members.(vi) Publicity & Outreach Programmes: EPFO conducts extensive awareness campaigns, outreach programmes, to educate employers and employees about the benefits of EPF membership and statutory compliance. EPFO field offices in the Rayalaseema region have conducted targeted awareness camps, industrial cluster meets, and interactive sessions with local employers, contractors, and trade unions. Wide publicity is generated using social media, informative brochures, and digital communications to optimize campaign outreach. These initiatives encourage voluntary registration and enrolment. EPFO services for Rayalaseema region including Nandyal district are managed through Regional Office, Kadapa and three District Offices (located in Kurnool town, Anantapur town, Tirupati town). Further, to ensure seamless service interface at the grassroots, monthly Nidhi Aapke Nikat outreach programs are conducted in all districts, including Nandyal, functioning as mobile facilitation hubs to address grievances and guide local establishments on- site. Code on Social Security, 2020 mandates that establishments employing 20 or more employees are required to register and comply with EPFO. Also, establishments with lesser employment strength may obtain voluntary coverage and comply. All districts in the Rayalaseema region are served by the ESIC Sub Regional Office, Tirupati, which comprises one DCBO and six Branch Offices. In addition, a Branch Office has been sanctioned for Nandyal district. The details of the coverage of units in Nandyal district under ESI are as under: Description Count No Of Employers Registered under 943 Branch Office Nandyal as on 16.07.2026 No Of Employees Registered under 17904 Branch Office Nandyal as on 16.07.2026 Date Of Implementation of Rayalaseema Districts (Kurnool, Kadapa, Nandyal, 01.12.2016 Chittoor, Annamayya, Sri Satya Sai, Tirupathi, Ananthapuram) Branch Office Nandyal Opened on 10.06.2026 *****