ESIC scheme to cover 1.20 crore people across Gujarat from Oct 1; Rajkot gets new sub-regional office

Ahmedabad: The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme will be fully implemented across 31 districts of Gujarat from October 1, 2026, bringing an estimated 8 to 10 lakh additional workers and their families under the social security network, Labour and Employment Minister Kunvarjibhai Bavaliya said on Tuesday.

With the expansion, the total number of ESIC beneficiaries in Gujarat is expected to rise to around 1.20 crore, including workers and their family members. Eligible beneficiaries will have access to cashless medical treatment, sickness benefits, maternity benefits and disability support, among other social security provisions.

The announcement was made at a press conference held in Gandhinagar by Bavaliya on the expansion of the ESIC scheme. Minister of State for Labour and Employment Kantibhai Amrutia was also present.

According to Bavaliya, the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment issued a notification on September 25 under the Code on Social Security, 2020, paving the way for wider implementation of the ESIC scheme in Gujarat from October 1.

Of the 31 districts covered under the latest expansion, 15 districts will see full implementation for the first time, while the scheme will be expanded to designated areas in 16 districts where it was previously only partially implemented.

The 15 districts where ESIC will be fully implemented are Amreli, Aravalli, Banaskantha, Botad, Chhota Udepur, Dahod, Dang, Devbhumi Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Kutch, Mahisagar, Narmada, Patan, Tapi and Vav-Tharad.

The 16 districts where the scheme will be implemented in designated areas are Ahmedabad, Anand, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kheda, Mehsana, Morbi, Navsari, Panchmahal, Porbandar, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, Surat and Surendranagar.

Healthcare network expanded

Bavaliya said Gujarat currently has 103 ESIC dispensaries and 11 ESIC/ESIS hospitals, while 234 community health centres (CHCs) and primary health centres (PHCs) have been empanelled to provide primary healthcare services to insured workers.

Construction is underway on a 350-bed ESIC hospital in Sanand and a 150-bed hospital in Kalol-Gandhinagar. The process of allocating land for 100-bed ESIC hospitals in Halol, Panchmahal, and Savli, Vadodara, is also in its final stages.

The state government will also recommend the establishment of new ESIC hospitals in Mehsana, Gandhidham and Morbi, the minister said.

An ESIC Medical College is already operational in Ahmedabad, while the process of establishing another medical college in Surat is underway.

To improve access to healthcare closer to workers’ homes, 68 hospitals, 13 government and 55 private, have been added to the ESIC panel over the past two months, Bavaliya said.

Eligible workers can also access cashless treatment through 900 private and 1,127 government hospitals empanelled under the PM-JAY scheme, he added.

New ESIC office approved for Rajkot

In another administrative development, a new ESIC Sub-Regional Office (SRO) has been approved for Rajkot.

The office will cater to workers from 12 districts in the Saurashtra region, allowing administrative work, contribution-related matters and claims to be processed locally. The move is expected to reduce the need for workers to travel to other locations for ESIC-related services.

At present, around 21.68 lakh workers are registered under ESIC in Gujarat, with approximately 84 lakh beneficiaries, including their family members, receiving healthcare and social security benefits.

With the expanded coverage, the number of registered workers is expected to increase to around 32 lakh, while the total number of beneficiaries is projected to reach approximately 1.20 crore.

Bavaliya said the expansion was aimed at strengthening social security and healthcare access for workers across Gujarat. DeshGujarat