Soon Law Will Be Made For The Welfare Of 5 Lakh People Providing App-Based Services In Rajasthan

The Rajasthan government has taken a big decision in the interest of people (gig workers) working with the app-based services, which has become an important part of the daily life and economy in today's era. Soon a new law will be made for the welfare and social security of the personnel in the state providing services for e-commerce based on mobile phone and online application, delivering items and food on online order, driving cars, bikes, taxis and other such works.

Chief Minister Shri Ashok Gehlot in December 2022 announced to bring the gig workers in the state in the ambit of social security. He announced to form a board for the welfare of gig workers in the state budget 2023-24 on February 10, 2023. Soon this announcement will be implemented in the form of a law protecting the interests of people working in app-based services. In the proposed law, there is a provision of constituting a state-level board for the welfare of the gig workers.

The Need of Law

In the last few years, the trend of app-based services has increased in the entire world. Crores of people especially youth are working in this new economy and their number is increasing fast, but there is no special legal provision for their better service conditions, regularity in jobs, welfare and social security. Now Rajasthan has taken the initiative to provide social security to the gig workers. Rajasthan Government will be the first in the whole country to implement law and board for the welfare of the gig workers. Discussions have been held with various stakeholders on the draft of the proposed law and it is in the process of approval at the different levels.

Number of Beneficiaries

There are around 88 lakh registered personnel in the entire country in the category of gig workers on the e-Shram portal of the Government of India. According to an estimate, of these, around 3 lakh people are from Rajasthan. Otherwise, there are around 5 lakh people providing their services in delivery of app-based services in various cities and towns in Rajasthan. People giving their services for companies such as Ola, Uber, Zomato, Swiggy, Amazon, Porter, Vahak etc will be benefitted with this new law. It is estimated that 2.38 crore people will get employment in app-based services in the entire country by 2029-30.

The law will have…

Provisions will be made to bring gig workers in the ambit of social security through this proposed law. Registration will be done of the companies providing app-based services and their personnel. A state-level welfare board will be formed in which along with the state government, there will be representation of the service provider companies and gig workers. A welfare fund will be formed through which schemes for the welfare and social security of gig workers will be carried out. Chief Minister Shri Ashok Gehlot said that a welfare fund of Rs 200 crore will be made. For the fund, a levy (special tax) will be levied on the payment of the bill on the service delivery. The board will submit reform in the service conditions, hear the problems of the concerned workers at the workplace and will also redress them.

Shri Vikas Sitaram Bhale, Secretary, Labour Department, Government of Rajasthan - Rajasthan has taken a big initiative for the people providing app-based services. The number of labourers to be benefitted will depend on which all services it will be implemented. The draft of the law has been submitted to the finance, law, personnel and other departments for approval, after which it will be put before the state cabinet and then the process of making the law will be completed in the state assembly.

Shri Ashish Singh, Rajasthan Gig & App-Based Workers Union, Jaipur - The Rajasthan Government will form the first labour board for the gig workers for the welfare of labourers in the unorganised sector of app-based services in the state. This entire system will be fully digital including registration of personnel to manage the schemes. The number of people will increase in this sector in the coming time. It is a farsighted initiative, which should be implemented soon.

Shri Sheikh Sallauddin, Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers, Hyderabad - A serious discussion was held with us in the process of making a law by the State Government. A high-level meeting of secretaries of Labour, Transport, Finance, Law, IT and other departments were there and we too were asked to join. The suggestions given by us were accepted by the state government in a positive manner. Now the Karnataka Government is also considering this proposed draft. The Rajasthan law will become a model for the entire world.

Shri Mukesh Goswami, Majdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, Jaipur - The Rajasthan Government is taking a good initiative for those people who have not got the identity of a labourer. The proposed law will become an example for other states in the country. These personnel could be given social security through the Welfare Board, the responsibility which the concerned service provider companies or the governments were not taking till now. The social security schemes will be managed by imposing levy on the payment.