The Telangana Gig Workers’ Social Security and Welfare Scheme was launched in Hyderabad with a promise to give workers access to information about their completed rides, work records and earnings through their mobile phones, while also creating Wi-Fi-enabled rest zones in cities across the state.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, announced the details while addressing gig workers in Hyderabad. He said the scheme would give workers a right to access data generated through their work, including the rides they complete and the payments they receive. The launch was organised as part of a wider programme involving gig workers and the Telangana government.
“Gig workers could not see their own data…This law is going to give you the right to your own data,” Gandhi said, adding that the Telangana government would ensure that details of workers’ assignments, completed rides and payments were available on their mobile phones.
The data-access provision addresses a central feature of app-based work: workers depend on digital platforms to receive assignments, track performance and calculate earnings, but may not have direct access to the same records used to manage their work. The announcement did not specify the technology platform, implementation timetable or the process through which workers would obtain the information.
The scheme also includes plans for Wi-Fi-enabled rest zones in Hyderabad and other cities in Telangana. According to Gandhi, the facilities will allow workers to park their vehicles, sit, rest or sleep during working hours. He said gig workers often travel long distances and deliver goods in difficult weather conditions without designated spaces for breaks.
For Hyderabad, where app-based delivery and transport workers operate across a large and expanding urban area, the proposed facilities would introduce a formal support layer into a form of work that is otherwise largely organised through private digital platforms. The announcement did not identify the number, locations or design standards of the proposed rest zones.
Gandhi said the facilities would be created by the Telangana government in Hyderabad and other cities across the state. The report also did not provide details on land ownership, operating agencies, funding arrangements, access rules or whether the zones would include toilets, drinking water, charging points or medical support.
Earlier in the day, gig workers organised a bike rally in Hyderabad, with Gandhi riding pillion on a scooter driven by one of the workers. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also joined the rally.
Gandhi said the launch followed earlier interactions with gig workers in Telangana, who had raised concerns about their working conditions and sought greater support and protection. He said the Congress party, the chief minister and other leaders had previously assured workers that steps would be taken to address their demands.
The scheme places two questions at the centre of its implementation: how workers will be able to access their digital work records, and how the proposed rest zones will be delivered across Hyderabad and other Telangana cities. Further details on the scheme’s operating framework and the rollout of the facilities were not provided in the announcement.
