NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, JULY 28
Gujarat Regional office of the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on Tuesday announced that it has provided lifetime pension to 25 persons —12 number of spouses of the deceased insured persons who all are workers in different establishments or factories covered by ESIC and 13 children, says a release.
Under “ESIC COVID-19 Relief Scheme”, the children will get lifetime monthly pension till they are married or they attain 25 years of age. This scheme was initially announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the statement added.
“Now, ESIC Regional Office has received the claims and necessary permission from its headquarters in New Delhi to start making payments. It is proving to be major relief to dependents of workers died in COVID-19 pandemic given by ESIC, in form of life-long monthly pension. The scheme will be effective for a period of two years from 24.03.2020. In Gujarat State, there are around 17 lakh Insured Persons who are being served by ESIC,” says a senior official.
Social security scheme to the rescue of dependents
Rupal Raval, was left devastated after her husband died due to corona on April 28 this year. Her husband, late Sandip Raval, was working with one Chandimahal, and was Socially Secured under ESI Scheme. The ESI Corporation has granted Rupal Raval a lifetime monthly pension following the death of her husband while her two daughters, Himadri and Anjani, have also been granted monthly pension till they get married.
Similarly, Batukbhai Babubhai, who was working with Hi-Bond Bearings Ltd., was diagnosed with corona on April 27, 2021 and unfortunately succumbed to this disease on May 3, 2021. After his death, his wife Sonalben, 33, has been left with the responsibility of taking care of their two daughters — Manvi & Swati, who are 14 & 11-years-old and son Baldev, 8-years-old. All the four have been granted lifelong monthly pension by ESIC under the COVID Relief Scheme.
Further, it is for the first time that the dependent husband is also being granted life-long pension in case of death of his working wife, due to corona.
The ESIC under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India has started providing additional and very special benefit for workers through “ESIC COVID-19 Relief Scheme” to address the fear and anxiety of workers about well-being of their family members due to increase in incidences of COVID-19 deaths.
To support the families of IP under the ESIC scheme, it has been decided that, all dependent family members of IPs who have been registered in the online portal of the ESIC prior to their diagnosis of COVID disease and subsequent death due to the COVID disease, will be entitled to receive the same benefits of monthly pension and in the same scale as received by the dependents of insured persons who die as a result of employment injury. The Insured Persons, who fulfill the eligibility conditions, and have died due to COVID disease, their dependents will be entitled to receive monthly payment @90% of average daily wages of the insured person during their life.
Earlier, Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY) was introduced to give relief to Insured person who became unemployed due to COVID by giving 50% of average per day earning for a maximum 90 days. Now, a major relief has been introduced in the form of “ESIC COVID-19 Relief Scheme” which will give guardian feel to the dependents of Insured Persons who died due to COVID. These benefits are provided to the workers without any additional cost to their employers.
