Taxi drivers, autowallahs, anganwadi workers and those working in shopping establishments will soon be covered under the Employee State Insurance Scheme (ESIC).

Initiating second generation reforms in the scheme, the Union Government has decided to bring about 4.30 crore employees in the unorganised sector under the health insurance scheme.

The Government would rope in the State governments to set up State-level corporations to oversee the operations.

"There are about 40 crore people working in the unorganised sector. We will cover all of them in phases," the Union Minister for Labour, Bandaru Dattatreya, has said.

"So far, the ESIC hospitals used to cover the employees in the organised sector and are mostly located in the industrial areas. We have decided to expand the facility in about 393 districts by providing health benefits to the workers in other parts of the districts," Dattatreya said.

Amendment

The Government is also contemplating to bring out an amendment to expand the scope of the insurance scheme. "So far, we have been covering the business concerns and organisations with more than 10 employees. After the amendment, we can cover the organisations with less than 10 employees too," he said.