Bandi Sanjay questions Revanth Reddy government’s assurances to gig workers

Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar questioned the Congress government’s assurances to gig workers and challenged its promise of health protection. He described Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on healthcare benefits for gig workers as a joke. His criticism followed the Telangana government’s launch of a special welfare scheme for gig workers on Thursday.

In a media statement, Bandi Sanjay targeted Rahul Gandhi and the Congress government over their earlier election promises. He alleged that the six guarantees announced before the elections had remained unfulfilled. The minister also demanded an explanation on the status of the Warangal and Kamareddy declarations.

Bandi Sanjay accused the government of weakening the Aarogyasri scheme by withholding adequate funds. He said government, contract and outsourcing employees, along with journalists, still lacked access to proper health card facilities. He further alleged that the government had abandoned its promise to support auto-rickshaw drivers.

Against this backdrop, he questioned how gig workers could trust the Congress government’s promise of health security.

Gig workers assurances face questions over funding and implementation

Bandi Sanjay demanded a clear funding plan for the proposed Gig Workers Board. He asked where the government would secure the money to run it. He also questioned whether the Congress government had funded any of the welfare boards it had established so far.

Recalling the Congress manifesto, he pointed to its promise of a Rajasthan-style law providing social security to auto drivers and gig workers. He said Rajasthan had allocated funds to its gig workers’ welfare board. The state also collected a welfare fee on every transaction made through aggregator companies such as Ola and Uber.

He cited complaint redressal arrangements and heavy penalties for companies that violate the law. Bandi Sanjay challenged the Telangana government to provide similar facilities to gig workers.

According to him, many unemployed graduates had entered gig work to support their families because they could not find jobs despite completing their degrees. He demanded a monthly allowance for these workers if the government was serious about their welfare.

The minister also urged the government to ensure that customers’ payments reached gig workers directly, without commission deductions by aggregator companies such as Ola, Uber, Swiggy and Zomato. He further called for double-bedroom houses for poor gig workers.

Bandi Sanjay said gig workers could judge political promises for themselves and would not be misled by the Congress government’s assurances.