The renewed SPREE will be open from July 1 to December 31, 2025, offering a one-time opportunity for unregistered employers and left-out workers, including contractual and temporary staff, to enroll under the ESI Act.
Under the scheme, employers registering during this period will be treated as covered from the date of registration or as declared by them, while newly registered employees will be covered from their respective dates of registration.
“The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation has approved the re-launch of SPREE with the objective of expanding ESI coverage across the country,” the ministry of labour and employment said in a statement after the 196th meeting of ESIC under the chairmanship of labour and employment minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
First introduced in 2016, the scheme facilitated the registration of over 88,000 employers and 10.2 million employees.
“By focusing on voluntary compliance rather than penalization, the scheme will seek to ease the litigation burden, encourage formal registration, and foster improved engagement and goodwill among stakeholders,” it said.
Amnesty Scheme – 2025
Under the Amnesty Scheme – 2025, a one-time dispute resolution window will be available from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026 aimed at reducing litigation and promoting compliance under the ESI Act.
“For the first time, disputes along with cases involving damages and interest regarding coverage are included,” it said, adding the scheme aims to reduce the number of litigations by providing a mechanism for the resolution of disputes outside the court, offering employers an opportunity to come forward for a mutual settlement to promote ease of doing business, and earn the goodwill of all stakeholders.
Simplification of existing damages framework
In order to promote compliance, minimize disputes and foster a more conducive regulatory environment, ESCI will simplify its damages framework by replacing the earlier framework of graded rates in favour of straightforward fixed rate besides reducing the rate of damage to 1% every month as against 25% per annum.
Besides, the corporation has approved amendments to Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana (RGSKY) under which powers will be delegated to the director general, ESIC, to grant relaxation in submission of applications beyond the 12-month limit from the date of job loss under RGSKY on case-to-case basis.
Further, a pilot project to improve healthcare access for ESI beneficiaries through charitable hospitals in underserved areas has also been approved.
Content Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com