Bengaluru, 21 September

Rajya Sabha MP Mansoor Ali Khan has urged the Union Government to raise the wage ceiling for coverage under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme from Rs 21,000 to Rs 30,000 a month, saying the limit has remained unchanged for nearly a decade despite rising wages and living costs.

In a letter to Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Khan said the current ceiling came into effect on 1 January, 2017, and had not been revised since.

He said inflation, rising prices and periodic revisions in minimum wages and Variable Dearness Allowance had pushed many organised-sector workers above the Rs 21,000 threshold, leaving some relatively low-income workers without ESI benefits for themselves and their dependants.

Khan also flagged rising private healthcare costs, saying workers losing ESI coverage could face substantial medical expenses, including for dependent family members and elderly parents.

The MP said Karnataka Labour Minister had raised the issue at the Conference of State Labour Ministers in January 2026, and that a proposal to increase the ceiling to Rs 30,000 had already been submitted to the Union Labour Ministry.

Khan urged the Centre to act on the proposal, saying social security thresholds must keep pace with economic realities.