![gaurav-srivastava](https://cdn.taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Gaurav-Srivastava.jpg)
This is one time opportunity to all the Employers to register themselves/ their business and employees to avoid attracting hefty penalties under the provisions of the ESI Act 1948, who have not yet registered. The advantage of the Scheme to the Employers is that those Registered during the period will be treated as covered from the date of registration or as declared by them without attracting liability for the past period even if the Act was applicable retrospectively.
Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya also said that employees registered under this one time amnesty scheme will be treated as covered employees from the date of registration and all the employers will be treated as registered employers from the date of registration itself. He also said no action will be taken against employers if they registered themselves under this ESI Amnesty scheme SPREE.
ESI Amnesty Scheme SPREE is launched by Union MoS for Labour and Employment Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya. ESI scheme SPREE is launched to promote registration of Employees and Employers under ESIC. This scheme will remain open from 20th December 2016 to 31st March 2017. Employers who earlier didn’t registered their employees can all eligible employees till 31st march 2017.
The GoI has enhanced the threshold wage ceiling for coverage of workers under the ESI Scheme from the existing Rs.15000/- per month to 21000/- per month from January, 2017 because of which the insurable population covered under the scheme is likely to increase to the extent of 15 -20%. The Corporation is also in a process of opening district level offices.
ESI corporation has also approved enhancement of medical expenditure to Rs 3000 per insured person from Rs 2,150 per insured person earlier.
ESIC launches one-time SPREE to make ESIC registration easier for all employers
The employees state insurance corporation in its 170th meeting held on 15.12.2016 has approved a Scheme to promote registration of Establishments/ Factories and Employees coverable under the ESI Act, 1948.
The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has issued a circular No. V-12/11/1/2014-P & D dated 20 December 2016 to promote registration of establishments, factories and employees coverable under the ESI Act.
What is SPREE?
As per this circular, the ESI Corporation has come up with the SPREE (Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers/ Employees) initiative as one-time drive/ scheme to extend to the social security benefits to all eligible employees under the Act who have been kept out of ESI coverage.
Start and end dates
The scheme will be open from 20 December 2016 through 31 March 2017.
Key features and benefits of SPREE
The salient features of the scheme are:
- Employers registering during the scheme’s period will be treated as being covered from the date of registration or as declared by them.
- The newly registered employees shall be treated as covered from the date of their registration.
- The SPREE drive will not have bearing on actions taken/ required under the ESI Act prior to 20 December 2016.
Consequences of non-adherence
The SPREE drive encourages all employers/ employees to use this opportunity and ensure that all the units/ employees coverable under the ESI Act are registered by taking advantage of this one-time drive.
The provisions of the ESI Act makes it mandatory for the employers to register the factory or establishment within 15 days of the Act becoming applicable to the factory or establishment and also register their employees immediately. The principal employer is liable to pay the employee’s and employer’s contribution. Interest and damages are recoverable for non-payment of any dues in time. Failure to pay the contribution is punishable.
The Importance of ESI Amnesty Scheme SPREE
Today is a modern day so all employees want to live stress free life but it is pretty tough without any special schemes. The employees now can live peacefully by the certain features of newly launched ESI amnesty scheme SPREE. This scheme is actually enhance the registration of workers and employers under the ESIC.
This is a valuable scheme that will remain open from December 20th in the year 2016 to 31st march of the year 2017. Actually this is a wealthy scheme is a must one for all employers as well as employees. The SPREE scheme is actually launched by the Union Minister of the nation Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya. In general this scheme helps employees to get rid of them from many of their financial troubles.
The Important Factors of this newly introduced Scheme by the central government of India
Employees always want to earn money in order to run the life quite comfortably so now government helps them to live secure life. The ESI amnesty scheme is such a useful scheme for both employees and employers. They should understand the aim or intention of this exclusive scheme in order to avoid confusions and money wastages.
- The ESI amnesty scheme is used to extend the social security benefits of employees. The employees can feel set free if they have registered themselves under this newly introduced scheme.
- It is a splendid chance to all the workers to register their employees and business under the act of ESI and it helps them avoid hefty penalties.
- The government of India will not take any action on employees if they completed their registration process in the scheme of ESI amnesty which launched recently.
- The ESI Corporation has decided that all insured people or employees who are all registered with the ESI scheme should pay Rs 2150 to Rs 3000 as the administration fee.
These factors should understand very well by employees to make the registration process quickly. The employees can able to cover medical expenses totally by this more valuable scheme. The payment of 3000 Rs will remain same for the next 3 financial years, so employees no need to worry about medical expenses. The registration is a first thing to do by employees and business owner in order to get the benefits quite easily. Actually this exclusive scheme can improve the medical services and even it decreases the medical expenses.
However employees no need to feel worry about medical expense if they once spend 3000 Rs on this “ESI amnesty scheme SPREE”. If employees register earlier then they’re only enough to pay Rs 2,150 for this excellent scheme. To be frank this amnesty scheme is also be well effective for the welfare of certain group of companies and the factories. The employee’s health is highly important for every company so it is obviously a great plan.
The employees should be hurried in order to complete the registration process under this scheme and it saves them life in dangerous situations. The people should realize the importance of this important scheme otherwise they can’t utilize it to gain benefits. The medical expenses can be unaffordable for most of employees but this new scheme can take care of medical expenses quite simply.
The Necessity of this Amnesty Scheme
In these present days employees are facing a lot of medical troubles but they can’t get rid from them due to the money inconsistency. This brand new scheme launched by the government of India helps to resolve the employee’s heath and medical expenses issues.
This scheme can protect employees from various unwanted illness and even death. This single scheme can cover the overall medical expanses of insured employee so workers of company should give importance to join at this scheme. This scheme is suitable for both male employees and female employees of all industries and factories.
If you feel that this article is valuable, please share it as much as you can.
(AUTHOR can be reached at www.startupscratch.com)
Good one. But do we need to register the uncovered employees in the same esic portal as we do for other employees. OR there is a special place where we need to go for registration of them? please clarify.