Chapter V

Benefits

Subject to the provisions of this Act, the insured persons, their dependents or the persons hereinafter mentioned, as the case may be, shall be entitled to the following benefits, namely,–
1. periodical payments to any insured person in case of his sickness certified by a duly appointed medical practitioner or by any other person possessing such qualifications and experience as the Corporation may, by regulations, specify in this behalf (hereinafter referred to as sickness benefit);
2. periodical payments to an insured woman in case of confinement or miscarriage, or sickness arising out of pregnancy, confinement, premature birth of child or miscarriage, such woman being certified to be eligible for such payments by an authority specified in this behalf by the regulations (hereinafter referred to as maternity benefit;
3. periodical payments to an insured person suffering from disablement as a result of an employment injury sustained as an employee under this Act and certified to be eligible for such payments by an authority specified in this behalf by the regulations (hereinafter referred to as disablement benefit);
4. Periodical payments to such dependants of an insured person who dies as a result of an employment injury sustained as an employee under this Act, as are entitled to compensation under this Act (hereinafter referred to as dependants’ benefit);
5. Medical treatment for and attendance on insured persons (hereinafter referred to as medical benefit); and
6. payment to the eldest surviving member of the family of an insured person who has died, towards the expenditure on the funeral of the deceased insured person or, where the insured person did not have a family or was not living with his family at the time of his death, to the person who actually incurs the expenditure on the funeral of the deceased insured person (to be known as funeral expenses):PROVIDED that the amount of such payment shall not exceed such amount as may be prescribed by the Central Government and the claim for such payment shall be made within three months of the death of the insured person or within such extended period as the Corporation or any officer or authority authorized by it in this behalf may allow.
The Corporation may, at the request of the appropriate government, and subject to such conditions as may be laid down in the regulations, extend the medical benefit to the family of an insured person.

Comments

Merely because the benefits to be received are postponed it cannot amount that there is no quid pro quo. Only after the availability of sufficient nucleus there can be the expectation of compensating return.– Gasket Radiators Ltd. v. ESI Corporation 1980 (50) FLR 426.

The Corporation is conferred with the power to recover arrears of contributions from the employer along with damages/interest on the contribution that remained due. Correspondingly it is under an obligation to pay with interest the arrears of benefits to the insured employees or his dependents.– ESI Corporation v. Bhag Singh 1989 (2) LLJ 126.

47. [* * *]

48. When person deemed available for employment

[Omitted by Act 44 of 1966, section 20 (28-1-1968)]

49. Sickness benefit

The qualification of a person to claim sickness benefit, the conditions subject to which such benefit may be given, the rates and period thereof shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

50. Maternity benefit

The qualification of an insured woman to claim maternity benefit, the conditions subject to which such benefit may be given, the rates and period thereof shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

51. Disablement benefit

Subject to the provisions of this Act [* * * *]

a person who sustains temporary disablement for not less than three days (excluding the day of accident) shall be entitled to periodical payment at such rates and for such periods and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government ;
a person who sustains permanent disablement, whether total or partial, shall be entitled to periodical payment at such rates and for such periods and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government:

Comments

In case there is sub-normal eyesight or the required vision is lost to a driver, it would not be covered by the provisions of the Act as an employment injury or as an occupational disease for the apparent reason that the Act contains no provision to grant Compensation in the case of a disability to continue a particular job.– Anand Bihari v. Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation 1991 (62) FLR 81.

ESI court while taking a decision upon the disablement question is never prevented from estimating and finding its own percentage of loss of earning capacity which the insured person suffers and determine the extent of disablement benefit to which the insured person is entitled, when it finds that such injury is outside the description of one or the other injury which is described in the Second Schedule of the Act.– Regional Director, ESI Corporation v. S. Sarvanam 1990 (60) FLR 165 .

51A. Presumption as to accident arising in course of employment

For the purposes of this Act, an accident arising in the course of an insured person’s employment shall be presumed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, also to have arisen out of that employment./

Comments

The Corporation is under a bounden duty to come forward on its own and to help the dependants of an insured employee who died in the course of his employment and whose death arises out of such employment.– Harjinder Kaur v. ESI Corporation 1987 (55) FLR 772.

51B. Accidents happening while acting in breach of regulations, etc.

An accident shall be deemed to arise out of and in the course of an insured person’s employment notwithstanding that he is at the time of the accident acting in contravention of the provisions of any law applicable to him, or of any orders given by or on behalf of his employer or that he is acting without instructions from his employer, if

The accident would have been deemed so to have arisen had the act not been done in contravention as aforesaid or on without instructions from his employer, as the case may be; and
The act is done for the purpose of and in connection with the employer’s trade or business.

51C. Accidents happening while travelling in employer’s transport

An accident happening while an insured person is, with the express or implied permission of his employer, travelling as a passenger by any vehicle to or from his place of work shall, notwithstanding that he is under no obligation to his employer to travel by that vehicle, be deemed to arise out of and in the course of his employment, if
1. The accident would have been deemed so to have arisen had he been under such obligation; and
2. At the time of the accident, the vehicle
  1. Is being operated by or on behalf of his employer or some other person by whom it is provided in pursuance of arrangements made with his employer, and
  2. Is not being operated in the ordinary course of public transport service.
In this section “vehicle” includes vessel and an aircraft.

51D. Accidents happening while meeting emergency

An accident happening to an insured person in or about any premises at which he is for the time-being employed for the purpose of his employer’s trade or business shall be deemed to arise out of and in the course of of his employment, if it happens while he is taking steps, on an actual or supposed emergency at those premises, to rescue, succour or protect persons who are, or are thought to be or possibly to be, injured or imperilled, or to avert or minimize serious damage to property.

52. Dependants’ benefit

If an insured person dies as a result of an employment injury sustained as an employee under this Act (whether or not he was in receipt of any periodical payment for temporary disablement in respect of the injury) dependants’ benefit shall be payable at such rates and for such period and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government to his dependants specified in sub-clause (i), and sub-clause (ia) and sub-clause (ii) of clause (6A) of section 2.
In case the insured person dies without leaving behind him the dependants as aforesaid, the dependants’ benefit shall be paid to the other dependants of the deceased at such rates and for such period and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

52A. Occupational disease

If an employee employed in any employment specified in Part A of the Third Schedule contracts any disease specified therein as an occupational disease peculiar to that employment or if an employee employed in the employment specified in Part B of that Schedule for a continuous period of not less than six months contracts any disease specified therein as an occupational disease peculiar to that employment or if an employee employed in any employment specified in Part C of that Schedule for such continuous period as the Corporation may specify in respect of each such employment, contracts any disease specified therein as an occupational disease peculiar to that employment, the contracting of the disease shall, unless the contrary is proved, be deemed to be an `employment injury’ arising out of and in the course of employment.
1. Where the Central Government or a State Government, as the case may be, adds any description of employment to the employments specified in Schedule III to the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923, by virtue of the powers vested in it under sub-section (3) of section 3 of the said Act, the said description of employment and the occupational diseases specified under that sub-section as peculiar to that description of employment shall be deemed to form part of the Third Schedule.
2. Without prejudice to the provisions of clause (i), the Corporation after giving, by notification in the Official Gazette, not less than three months’ notice of its intention so to do, may, by a like notification add any description of employment to the employments specified in the Third Schedule and shall specify in the case of employments so added the diseases which shall be deemed for the purposes of this section to be occupational diseases peculiar to those employments respectively and thereupon the provisions of this Act shall apply, as if such diseases had been declared by this Act to be occupational diseases peculiar to those employments.
Save as provided by sub-sections (1) and (2), no benefit shall be payable to an employee in respect of any disease unless the disease is directly attributable to a specific injury by accident arising out of and in the course of his employment.
The provisions of section 51A shall not apply to the cases to which this section applies.

53. Bar against receiving or recovery of compensation or damages under any other law

An insured person or his dependants shall not be entitled to receive or recover, whether from the employer of the insured person or from any other person, any compensation or damages under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923 or any other law for the time being in force or otherwise, in respect of an employment injury sustained by the insured person as an employee under this Act.

COMMENTS

Section 53 of the ESI Act does not bar the remedy under s. 110A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939.– Deputy General Manager KSRTC v. Gopal Mudaliar 1983 (46) FLR 194.

54. Determination of question of disablement

Any question–

Whether the relevant accident has resulted in permanent disablement; or
Whether the extent of loss of earning capacity can be assessed provisionally or finally; or
Whether the assessment of the proportion of the loss of earning capacity is provisional or final; or
In the case of provisional assessment, as to the period for which such assessment shall hold good,

Shall be determined by a medical board constituted in accordance with the provisions of the regulations and any such question shall hereafter be referred to as the “disablement question”.

54A. References to Medical Boards and appeals to Medical Appeal Tribunals and Employees’ Insurance Courts

The case of any insured person for permanent disablement benefit shall be referred by the Corporation to a medical board for determination of the disablement question and if, on that or any subsequent reference, the extent of loss of earning capacity of the insured person is provisionally assessed, it shall again be so referred to the medical board not later than the end of the period taken into account by the provisional assessment.
If the insured person or the Corporation is not satisfied with the decision of the medical board, the insured person or the Corporation may appeal in the prescribed manner and within the prescribed time to–
1. The medical appeal tribunal constituted in accordance with the provisions of the regulations with a further right of appeal in the prescribed manner and within the prescribed time to the Employees’ Insurance Court, or
2. The Employees’ Insurance Court directly :PROVIDED that no appeal by an insured person shall lie under this sub-section if such person has applied for commutation of disablement benefit on the basis of the decision of the medical board and received the commuted value of such benefit :PROVIDED FURTHER that no appeal by the Corporation shall lie under this sub-section if the Corporation paid the commuted value of the disablement benefit on the basis of the decision of the medical board.

COMMENTS

In the case of an injury which is not covered by any part of the schedule loss of earning capacity is to be decided on evidence and the opinion which the Medical Board gives in this regard would be final and binding between the parties. Tribunal in such cases has to pass an award that is in conformity with the decision of the Medical Board.– ESI Corporation v. Hari Hajra 1989 (1) LLN 665.b

55. Review of decisions by Medical Board or Medical Appeal Tribunal

Any decision under this Act of a medical board or a medical appeal tribunal may be reviewed at any time by the medical board or the medical appeal tribunal, as the case may be, if it is satisfied by fresh evidence that the decision was given in consequence of the non-disclosure or mis-representation by the employee or any other person of a material fact (whether the non-disclosure or misrepresentation was or was not fraudulent).
Any assessment of the extent of the disablement resulting from the relevant employment injury may also be reviewed by a medical board, if it is satisfied that since the making of the assessment there has been a substantial and unforeseen aggravation of the results of the relevant injury:

PROVIDED that an assessment shall not be reviewed under this sub-section unless the medical board is of opinion that having regard to the period taken into account by the assessment and the probable duration of the aggravation aforesaid, substantial injustice will be done by not reviewing it.
Except with the leave of a medical appeal tribunal, an assessment shall not be reviewed under sub-section (2) on any application made less than five years, or in the case of a provisional assessment, six months, from the date thereof and on such a review the period to be taken into account by any revised assessment shall not include any period before the date of the application.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this section, a medical board may deal with a case of review in any manner in which it could deal with it on an original reference to it, and in particular may make a provisional assessment notwithstanding that the assessment under review was final; and the provisions of section 54A shall apply to an application for review under this section and to a decision of a medical board in connection with such application as they apply to as a case for disablement benefit under that section and to a decision of the medical board in connection with such case.

55A. Review of dependants’ benefit

Any decision awarding dependants’ benefit under this Act may be reviewed at any time by the Corporation if it is satisfied by fresh evidence that the decision was given in consequence of non-disclosure or misrepresentation by the claimant or any other person of a material fact (whether the non-disclosure or misrepresentation was or was not fraudulent) or that the decision is no longer in accordance with this Act due to any birth or death or due to the marriage, re-marriage or cesser of infirmity of, or attainment of the age of eighteen years by, a claimant.
Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Corporation may, on such review as aforesaid, direct that the dependants’ benefit be continued, increased, reduced or discontinued.

56. Medical benefit

An insured person or (where such medical benefit is extended to his family) a member of his family whose condition requires medical treatment and attendance shall be entitled to receive medical benefit.
Such medical benefit may be given either in the form of out-patient treatment and attendance in a hospital or dispensary, clinic or other institution or by visits to the home of the insured person or treatment as in-patient in a hospital or other institution.
A person shall be entitled to medical benefit during any period for which contributions are payable in respect of him or in which he is qualified to claim sickness benefit or maternity benefit or is in receipt of such disablement benefit
as does not disentitle him to medical benefit under the regulations:

PROVIDED that a person in respect of whom contribution ceases to be payable under this Act may be allowed medical benefit for such period and of such nature as may be provided under the regulations :

PROVIDED FURTHER that an insured person who ceases to be in insurable employment on account of permanent disablement shall continue, subject to payment of contribution and such other conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government, to receive medical benefit till the date on which he would have vacated the employment on attaining the age of superannuation had he not sustained such permanent disablement:

PROVIDED ALSO that an insured person, who has attained the age of superannuation, and his spouse shall be eligible to receive medical benefit subject to payment of contribution and such other conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

Explanation : In this section, “superannuation”, in relation to an insured person, means the attainment by that person of such age as is fixed in the contract or conditions of service as the age on the attainment of which he shall vacate the insurable employment or the age of sixty years where no such age is fixed and the person is no more in the insurable employment.

57. Scale of medical benefit

An insured person and (where such medical benefit is extended to his family) his family shall be entitled to receive medical benefit only of such kind and on such scale as may be provided by the State Government or by the Corporation, and an insured person or, where such medical benefit is extended to his family, his family shall not have a right to claim any medical treatment except such as is provided by the dispensary, hospital, clinic or other institution to which he or his family is allotted, or as may be provided by the regulations.
Nothing in this Act shall entitle an insured person and (where such medical benefit is extended to his family) his family to claim re-imbursement from the Corporation of any expenses incurred in respect of any medical treatment, except as may be provided by the regulations.

58. Provision of medical treatment by State Government

The State Government shall provide for insured persons and (where such benefit is extended to their families) their families in the State, reasonable medical, surgical and obstetric treatment:

PROVIDED that the State Government may, with the approval of the Corporation, arrange for medical treatment at clinics of medical practitioners on such scale and subject to such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon.
Where the incidence of sickness benefit payment to insured persons in any State is found to exceed the all-India average, the amount of such excess shall be shared between the Corporation and the State Government in such proportion as may be fixed by agreement between them:

PROVIDED that the Corporation may in any case waive the recovery of the whole of any part of the share which is to be borne by the State Government.
The Corporation may enter into an agreement with a State Government in regard to the nature and scale of the medical treatment that should be provided to insured persons and (where such medical benefit is extended to the families) their families (including provision of buildings, equipment, medicines and staff) and for the sharing of the cost thereof and of any excess in the incidence of sickness benefit to insured persons between the Corporation and the State Government.
In default of agreement between the Corporation and any State Government as aforesaid the nature and extent of the medical treatment to be provided by the State Government and the proportion in which the cost thereof and of the excess in the incidence of sickness benefit shall be shared between the Corporation and that government, shall be determined by an arbitrator (who shall be or shall have been a Judge of the High Court of a State appointed by the Chief Justice of India and the award of the arbitrator shall be binding on the Corporation and the State Government.

59. Establishment and maintenance of hospitals, etc. by Corporation

The Corporation may, with the approval of the State Government, establish and maintain in a State such hospitals, dispensaries and other medical and surgical services as it may think fit for the benefit of insured persons and (where such medical benefit is extended to their families) their families.
The Corporation may enter into agreement with any [* * *] local authority, private body or individual in regard to the provision of medical treatment and attendance for insured persons and (where such medical benefit is extended to their families) their families, in any area and sharing the cost thereof.

59A. Provision of medical benefit by the Corporation in lieu of State Government

Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act, the Corporation may, in consultation with the State Government, undertake the responsibility for providing medical benefit to insured persons and where such medical benefit is extended to their families, to the families of such insured persons in the State subject to the condition that the State Government shall share the cost of such medical benefit in such proportion as may be agreed upon between the State Government and the Corporation.
In the event of the Corporation exercising its power under sub-section (1), the provisions relating to medical benefit under this Act shall apply, so far as may be, as if a reference therein to the State Government were a reference to the Corporation.

GENERAL

60. Benefit not assignable or attachable

The right to receive any payment of any benefit under this Act shall not be transferable or assignable.
No cash benefit payable under this Act shall be liable to attachment or sale in execution of any decree or order of any Court.

61. Bar of benefits under other enactments

When a person is entitled to any of the benefits provided by this Act, he shall not be entitled to receive any similar benefit admissible under the provisions of any other enactment.

62. Persons not to commute cash benefits

Save as may be provided in the regulations no person shall be entitled to commute for a lump sum any disablement benefit admissible under this Act.

63. Persons not entitled to receive benefit in certain cases

Save as may be provided in the regulations, no person shall be entitled to sickness benefit or disablement benefit for temporary disablement on any day on which he works or remains on leave or on a holiday in respect of which he receives wages or on any day on which he remains on strike.

64. Recipients of sickness or disablement benefit to observe conditions

A person who is in receipt of sickness benefit or disablement benefit (other than benefit granted on permanent disablement)–

shall remain under medical treatment at a dispensary, hospital, clinic or other institution provided under this Act and shall carry out the instructions given by the medical officer or medical attendant in charge thereof;
shall not while under treatment do anything which might retard or prejudice his chances of recovery;
shall not leave the area in which medical treatment provided by this Act is being given, without the permission of the medical officer, medical attendant or such other authority as may be specified in this behalf by the regulations; and
shall allow himself to be examined by any duly appointed medical officer [* * *] or other person authorized by the Corporation in this behalf.

65. Benefits not to be combined

1. An insured person shall not be entitled to receive for the same period–
  1. both sickness benefit and maternity benefit; or
  2. both sickness benefit and disablement benefit for temporary disablement; or
  3. both maternity benefit and disablement benefit for temporary disablement.
2. Where a person is entitled to more than one of the benefits mentioned in sub-section (1), he shall be entitled to choose which benefit he shall receive

66. Corporation’s right to recover damages from employer in certain cases

[Omitted by Act 44 of 1966, section 29, w.e.f. 17-6-1967]

67. Corporation’s right to be indemnified in certain cases

[Omitted by Act 44 of 1966, section 29 w.e.f. 17-6-1967].

68. Corporation’s rights where a principal employer fails or neglects to pay any contribution

If any principal employer fails or neglects to pay any contribution which under this Act he is liable to pay in respect of any employee and by reason thereof such person becomes disentitled to any benefit or entitled to a benefit on a lower scale, the Corporation may, on being satisfied that the contribution should have been paid by the principal employer, pay to the person the benefit at the rate to which he would have been entitled, if the failure or neglect had not occurred and the Corporation shall be entitled to recover from the principal employer either–
1. the difference between the amount of benefit which is paid by the Corporation to the said person and the amount of the benefit which would have been payable on the basis of the contributions which were in fact paid by the employer; or
2. twice the amount of the contribution which the employer failed or neglected to pay whichever is greater.
The amount recoverable under this section may be recovered as if it were an arrear of land revenue or under section 45C to section 45I.

69. Liability of owner or occupier of factories, etc. for excessive sickness benefit

Where the Corporation considers that the incidence of sickness among insured persons is excessive by reason of–
1. insanitary working conditions in a factory or establishment or the neglect of the owner or occupier of the factory or establishment to observe any health regulations enjoined on him or under any enactment; or
2. insanitary conditions of any tenements or lodgings occupied by insured persons and such insanitary conditions are attributable to the neglect of the owner of the tenements or lodgings to observe any health regulations enjoined on him by or under any enactment, the Corporation may send to the owner or occupier of the factory or establishment or to the owner of the tenements or lodgings, as the case may be, a claim for the payment of the amount of the extra expenditure incurred by the Corporation as sickness benefit; and if the claim is not settled by agreement, the Corporation may refer the matter, with a statement in support of its claim, to the appropriate government.
If the appropriate government is of opinion that a prima facie case for inquiry is disclosed, it may appoint a competent person or persons to hold an inquiry into the matter.
If upon such inquiry it is proved to the satisfaction of the person or persons holding the inquiry that the excess in incidence of sickness among the insured persons is due to the default or neglect of the owner or occupier of the factory or establishment or the owner of the tenements or lodgings, as the case may be, the said person or persons shall determine the amount of the extra expenditure incurred as sickness benefit, and the person or persons by whom the whole or any part of such amount shall be paid to the Corporation.
A determination under sub-section (3) may be enforced as if it were a decree for payment of money passed in a suit by a Civil Court.
For the purposes of this section, “owner” of tenements or lodgings shall include any agent of the owner and any person who is entitled to collect the rent of the tenements or lodgings as a lessee of the owner.

70. Repayment of benefit improperly received

Where any person has received any benefit or payment under this Act when he is not lawfully entitled thereto, he shall be liable to repay to the Corporation the value of the benefit or the amount of such payment, or in the case of his death his representative shall be liable to repay the same from the assets of the deceased, if any, in his hands.
The value of any benefits received other than cash payments shall be determined by such authority as may be specified in the regulations made in this behalf and the decision of such authority shall be final.
The amount recoverable under this section may be recovered as if it were an arrears of land revenue or under section 45C to section 45I.

71. Benefit payable up to and including day of death

If a person dies, during any period for which he is entitled to a cash benefit under this Act, the amount of such benefit up to and including the day of his death shall be paid to any person nominated by the deceased person in writing in such form as may be specified in the regulations or, if there is no such nomination, to the heir or legal representative of the deceased person.

72. Employer not to reduce wages, etc.

No employer by reason only of his liability for any contributions payable under this Act shall, directly or indirectly reduce the wages of any employee, or except as provided by the regulations, discontinue or reduce benefits payable to him under the conditions of his service which are similar to the benefits conferred by this Act.

73. Employer not to dismiss or punish employee during period of sickness, etc.

No employer shall dismiss, discharge, or reduce or otherwise punish an employee during the period the employee is in receipt of sickness benefit or maternity benefit, nor shall he, except as provided under the regulations, dismiss, discharge or reduce or otherwise punish an employee during the period he is in receipt of disablement benefit for temporary disablement or is under medical treatment for sickness or is absent from work as a result of illness duly certified in accordance with the regulations to arise out of the pregnancy or confinement rendering the employee unfit for work.
No notice of dismissal or discharge or reduction given to an employee during the period specified in sub-section (1) shall be valid or operative.

COMMENTS

Where the name of the workman is removed from the muster roll that would amount to termination of service and such termination is retrenchment within the meaning of s. 2(oo) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.– Madhabananda Jena v. Orissa State Electricity Board 1990 (1) LLJ 463.

Factually speaking bar contained in s. 73 of the Act only requires the employer not to dismiss or terminate. In the case of voluntary abandonment there is no question of the application of s. 73.– Guest Keen Williams Ltd. v. P.O. Labour Court 1992 (1) CLR 433.