Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy announced the launch of a special security scheme for gig workers in Hyderabad on Saturday, saying the state government had established a Gig Workers Board, was providing insurance coverage and had enacted legislation to protect workers in the sector.
Reddy made the announcement at an event attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad. The Chief Minister said the Telangana Gig Workers Special Security Scheme was being launched under the guidance of Gandhi and described it as the fulfilment of a promise made during Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state.
According to Reddy, gig workers had met Gandhi during his visit to Hyderabad and shared their professional difficulties and challenges. He said Gandhi had promised that a Congress government in Telangana would enact legislation to protect gig workers if it came to power.
“The government has already established the Gig Workers Board and is also providing insurance to the gig workers community,” Reddy said, according to the report. He also said the state government would stand firmly by gig workers and provide protection “in every aspect” to the workforce.
The Chief Minister said the state was providing accident insurance coverage to gig workers. He added that the coverage limit under Aarogyasri, the state health scheme, had been increased to Rs. 10 lakh. The report did not provide details of the insurance amount, eligibility conditions, enrolment process or the date on which benefits under the special security scheme would begin.
Reddy referred to the legislation as the “prestigious Gig Workers Act” and said it would be enforced under the guidance of the Congress party’s national leadership. The report did not specify the Act’s provisions, including how the Gig Workers Board would function, which categories of workers would be covered or how the scheme would be funded and administered.
The announcement places worker protection within the rapidly expanding urban service economy, where delivery and other platform-based workers operate across cities. For Hyderabad, the immediate significance lies in the state government’s stated decision to combine institutional oversight through a dedicated board with accident insurance and health coverage. The practical effect will depend on how workers are identified, enrolled and given access to the promised benefits.
Reddy said the initiative reflected Gandhi’s understanding of the difficulties faced by poorer sections of society during his 4,000-kilometre Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. He expressed gratitude to Gandhi on behalf of gig workers at the Hyderabad event.
The Telangana government’s next steps, according to the announcement, are the implementation of the Gig Workers Act, operation of the Gig Workers Board and delivery of insurance and health benefits under the special security scheme. Further details on the law’s provisions and the scheme’s execution were not provided in the report.
