The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) approved a new amnesty scheme on December 18, 2007, to facilitate the withdrawal of cases against defaulting employers and employees. This scheme will be effective from January 1, 2008, for one year, allowing the withdrawal of prosecution cases for non-payment of dues upon payment of statutory interest. Employers will receive a 75% relief while employees will contribute 25%. Additionally, employers must provide an undertaking for future compliance and a self-certification system will minimize inspections. The ESIC also increased the Permanent Disablement and Dependents’ Benefit Rates to counter inflation, while revising disability conditions in the Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana.
The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) today (18-12-07) approved a fresh amnesty scheme for withdrawal of cases against the defaulting employers and employees.
The new scheme will come into force from January 1, 2008 and will remain effective for the full year. The scheme will lead to withdrawal of prosecution cases filed by the corporation in the 1st Class Judicial Magistrate Courts for non-payment of dues subject to payment including statutory interest, according to an official release.
The quantum of relief to be levied on the employers would be 75 per cent and 25 per cent only would be claimed from the employees, the release added.
The employers will also have to give an undertaking to the effect that they would be regular in compliance in future and there would not be default on their part. In order to minimize the need for inspections, introduction of a self-certification system has also been approved.
Employers with up to 40 employees who are regular in compliance, will not be required to get the return certified by a chartered accountant and shall only submit a self-certificate, the release added.
The corporation also enhanced the Permanent Disablement Benefit and Dependents’ Benefit Rates to compensate the erosion in its real value to inflation.
The ESIC board also approved the review of the Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana and revised the condition of 50 per cent disability under non-employment injury cases to 40 per cent disability in order to increase the coverage.
