To gig workers, Delhi Budget offers spaces to rest and the promise of a welfare board
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also announced that the government will form an Auto-Taxi Driver Welfare Board to look after the provisions and security of auto rickshaw and taxi drivers in the capital.
“There is a huge population of gig workers in Delhi. They have to deal with many problems every day. I invited them for consultations and then made two decisions,” she said. (File Photo)
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in her Budget Speech on Tuesday (March 24) announced two provisions specifically for gig workers who are currently working in the national capital.
“There is a huge population of gig workers in Delhi. They have to deal with many problems every day. I invited them for consultations and then made two decisions,” she said.
First, gig workers will be provided spaces to rest adjacent to or near the Atal Canteens in the city. “These workers say we travel for hours on our vehicles, without any resting space. There is no place where we can stop, rest, eat in peace or charge our mobiles. Due to being so tired all the time, accidents can also happen. We will create resting rooms adjoining our Atal Canteens where they can rest and eat,” Gupta said.
Secondly, “We will be forming a Gig Welfare Board, so that the rest of the problems can also be solved,” she said.
The CM also announced that the government will also be forming an Auto-Taxi Driver Welfare Board, which will look after the provisions and security of auto and taxi drivers in the capital.
These decisions come in the backdrop of the ongoing conversation on the working conditions and earnings of gig workers which was spiked by a nationwide strike carried out by gig workers on Christmas and New Year’s Eve last year. It eventually led the central government to ask quick commerce companies to drop the “10-minute delivery” deadline.
During pre-Budget consultations with gig workers and their representatives, the Chief Minister’s office has said in a statement that a key demand was the creation of adequate and safe parking facilities for drivers.
Story continues below this ad
Workers had also urged the government to expand EV infrastructure and offer subsidies for women to purchase electric vehicles.
On social security, participants called for linking gig workers with provident fund systems and integrating health schemes. Several representatives pushed for recognizing gig workers as ‘employees’ rather than ‘partners’.
They also proposed the setting up of a dedicated task force to address the concerns of gig workers and safeguard their interests.
Other demands included establishing rest facilities for drivers and workers, increasing the number of public toilets, and introducing practical reforms in traffic regulations. Participants also highlighted the discrepancies between central and state labour laws, urging their harmonisation in order to ensure that benefits reach workers effectively, the statement stated.
Story continues below this ad
Gig work now supports 1.2 crore Indians and this number is estimated to double by 2030.
Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications.
Professional Background
Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University.
Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city.
Recent Notable Work
His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences:
An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled.
A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo.
A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods.
Reporting Approach
Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city.
Contact
X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_
Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read More