Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed officials to conduct a detailed study on the Gig and Platform Workers Act.
This Act is designed to protect the rights of gig workers, such as food delivery personnel and ride-hailing drivers, who work through online platforms. It aims to provide them with social security benefits, including health insurance, accident coverage, and old-age pensions, while allowing them to maintain flexible work schedules.
One of the key objectives of the Act is to ensure social security for gig workers. This includes benefits like life and disability insurance, accident coverage, maternity support, and retirement protection.
So far, this remains one of the major promises of the Revanth Reddy government that has not yet been implemented.
During the Telangana Assembly elections in December 2023, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promised a law to provide a social security framework for gig workers. Revanth Reddy later expanded on this by pledging to offer insurance and introduce a government-run app as an alternative to private ride-hailing services, ensuring better earnings for workers.
Taking a step in this direction, the Chief Minister held a review meeting with the Labour Department at his residence on Saturday. He instructed officials to study the Act carefully so the government can develop a policy for gig workers.
In addition to this, CM Revanth Reddy also reviewed the progress of upgrading Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into Advanced Technology Centers (ATCs). He emphasized that all ITIs in Telangana should be upgraded and that each urban assembly constituency should have at least one ATC.
Officials briefed the Chief Minister about the staff requirements and other details related to ATCs. In response, Revanth Reddy gave several suggestions regarding staff recruitment and assured that the government is ready to provide the necessary funds for setting up these centers immediately.
