Finalise Gig Workers Draft Bill By April 25: CM

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy today directed officials to seek public feedback on the draft bill aimed at providing social security to gig and platform workers.

He stressed the importance of incorporating the community's suggestions, recommendations and objections before finalising the Bill, which is scheduled to happen by April 25, and said that the new law should serve as a model for the rest of the country.

The Chief Minister held a special meeting with gig workers, union representatives and senior officials from various departments at the Secretariat.

Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy; Government Advisor Vem Narender Reddy; State Planning Board Vice Chairman Chinna Reddy; Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari; Special Chief Secretaries Ramakrishna Rao, Jayesh Ranjan and Sanjay Kumar; and other senior officials participated in the meeting.

The State Labour Department has already prepared the draft of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Bill, which aims to ensure welfare, job security, insurance coverage and other rights for these workers, and officials briefed the Chief Minister during the meeting on the provisions proposed in the draft.

The CM suggested several changes and additions to the draft, and said that the new legislation should prioritise workers' welfare while fostering coordination and a collaborative approach between companies and aggregators. He instructed officials to upload the draft online and invite public feedback.

He said that nearly 4 lakh gig workers were employed in food delivery, cab driving and package delivery across the State, and that it was essential to accept suggestions and objections from all sections of the society.

Officials were also instructed to make the necessary arrangements to enact the Bill on May Day (May 1) - International Workers' Day.

Recalling his pre-election promise to enact legislation for the welfare and safety of gig and platform workers, the CM said that Telangana was the first State in the country to implement accident insurance for gig workers.

For context, the State government had issued orders on December 30, 2023, to provide accident insurance of Rs 5 lakh in the event of the death of a gig or platform worker.