Aiming to make it easier for the employers to comply with the statutory requirements of the ESI schemes, Employees State Insurance Corporation has decided to provide online facility and computerise all its offices in Punjab by 2007.
"We will be computerising all our offices in Punjab during next year, which will facilitate online submission of statutory forms and depositing of ESIC contribution. For this purpose we have earmarked Rs 80 lakhs (Rs 8 million)," ESIC Regional Director G C Gena said in Ludhiana.
With the launch of this online facility, the employers would no longer require to visit our offices for submitting forms and deposits, he said.
ESIC has launched an Amnesty scheme for those employers against whom it had filed cases for not depositing the contribution amount.
"We are urging the employers to take benefit of amnesty scheme, under which the cases against employers would be withdrawn subject to the fulfillment of several conditions," he said adding that the scheme was valid till January 31, 2007.
The corporation had filed cases against nearly 2,000 establishments in Punjab, including 971 from here, for not depositing the ESI contribution.
Punjab has about 4.85 lakh ESIC members and the corporation receives Rs 70 crore (Rs 700 million) per annum as ESI contribution from the state, Gena said.