Parliament Question: Increasing the Salary Limit for Medical Treatment in ESI Hospitals

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3512 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.08.2026 INCREASING THE SALARY LIMIT FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT IN ESI HOSPITALS 3512. ADV DEAN KURIAKOSE: Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state: (a)whether the Government has received any proposal for the increase in the salary limit from Rs. 21,000 to Rs. 30,000 for workers in the unorganized sector to avail medical treatment at Employees' State Insurance (ESI) hospitals/dispensaries; (b)if so, the details thereof; (c)whether the Government likely to consider to set up ESI dispensaries at Nedunkandam and Kumily in Idukki due to the presence of large number of workers especially in the plantation sector; and (d)if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE) (a) to (d): The revision of wage ceiling for coverage under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme is undertaken periodically from time to time. The last revision was done w.e.f. 01.01.2017, wherein the wage limit was raised from Rs. 15,000/- per month to Rs. 21,000/- per month (Rs. 25,000/- for Persons with disability). 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. 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. Nedumkandam and Kumily in Idukki district do not fulfil the prescribed ESIC norms regarding the minimum Insured Persons (IP) population required for establishing an ESI Dispensary. Accordingly, there is no proposal at present for setting up ESI dispensaries at these locations. *****