Gandhinagar, Sep 22 — Gujarat will soon bring around eight lakh additional workers under the social security cover of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Labour, Skill Development and Employment Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya said on Tuesday.
The state seeks to expand welfare and healthcare coverage alongside rising employment opportunities.
Bavaliya, who chaired the 94th Regional Board Meeting of ESIC at the Gujarat Secretariat in Gandhinagar, said more than 21.68 lakh insured persons and around 84 lakh beneficiaries in the state were already covered under the ESIC scheme as of March 31, 2026.
“Employment opportunities in the state have been steadily increasing alongside industrial development. Keeping this growth in view, around eight lakh additional workers in Gujarat will soon be brought under the social security cover of ESIC,” he said.
The minister also said more than 68 private hospitals had been empanelled with ESIC in Gujarat over the past two months to provide quicker, quality and cashless medical treatment to workers and their families.
He said the expanded hospital network would make healthcare services more accessible to ESIC beneficiaries.
"The state government is working to strengthen healthcare services and widen access to social security and welfare schemes for workers and their families," he added.
Bavaliya said the Regional Board would meet once every three months to review matters concerning workers’ welfare, healthcare services and social security.
"Necessary action would be taken for the timely resolution of demands and issues raised by workers between board meetings," he noted.
The meeting also discussed reconstituting the Regional Board and nominating co-opted members, establishing an ESIC State Society in Gujarat, and allocating suitable land for hospitals.
Proceedings and the report of the 93rd Regional Board Meeting were presented during the meeting.
Minister of State for Labour, Skill Development and Employment, Kantilal Amrutiya, was also present. Earlier, ESIC Ahmedabad Regional Director Hemantkumar Pandey gave an overview of the programme.
The meeting was attended by Insurance Commissioner (Western Zone) Ratneshkumar Gautam; Additional Secretary (Medical Services) Manish Modi; Director of Industrial Safety and Health, P.M. Shah; State Medical Officer Dr Vijaykumar Dhanak; Chairman of SOHM; representatives of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, employer representatives, deans and medical superintendents of ESIC-affiliated hospitals, and senior officials of the Labour and Employment Department and ESIC.