Government of India. Ministry of Labour Inauguration of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation on the Sixth October 1948

Thus the State has to step in and assume the responsibility of providing the fundamental Or basic security to the common:man in the economic sphere for the common good. [...] While the Regional and local Offices will actively be concerned with the recovery of contributions and payment of benefits it will be be responsibility of the Headquarters Office to icy down the broad lines of policy to ensure unifomity in the application of the law and prcedure to prescril e uniform standards for the entire country and in fact to discharge such measures of supervision an [...] The setting up of a vast organisation like the Corporation involv iñg as it does the breaking of new ground will demand the bringing into May of a very considerable measure of administrative talent and resourcfulness on the part of those charged with the task of organisation and development. [...] As the Hon 'ble the Labour Minister put if the scheme is iusi a beginning the first step and though in our vie* it is IVA is mulch as we would wish we Welcome it in the hope that the inadequacies and the drawbacks that are there in it will soon receive attention. [...] He should understand the implications of the work and the bene fits which it will confer on the country; he shbuld take an intelligent interest in the work so that whenever he deals with the public he could keep at the back of his mind that human touch that courtesy and civility on which the success of any scheme for the benefit of the people will depend.