Rajasthan Govt Gives Nod To Bill Ensuring Social Security To Gig Workers

The Rajasthan assembly on Monday passed a bill extending social protection to gig workers in the state without any debate.

The Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2023 aims at registering all the gig workers and aggregators in the state, and facilitate guarantee of social security to gig workers, giving them an opportunity to air any grievances.

The Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers Welfare Board, which would comprise two members each from gig workers and aggregators to be nominated by the state government along with two civil employees, is one of the most important provisions of the bill. The board will establish a social security and welfare fund for gig workers and ensure that all gig workers and aggregators working in the state are registered. According to the measure, the state government will create an individual ID for each gig worker and keep a database of them.

As part of the "Platform Based Gig Workers Fund and Welfare Fee", a fee will be levied on aggregators, "which shall be at such rate (per cent) of the value of each transaction related to a platform-based gig worker, as may be notified by the state government," the bill states.

Additionally, the bill gives gig workers access to both general and targeted social security programmes, as well as the chance to be heard for any complaints and a suitable grievance procedure, as well as the ability to participate in all choices made for their welfare through representation on the board.

A penalty clause has also been added by the Congress-led Rajasthani government if aggregators fail to pay the welfare charge on time. For the first violation, the state government may levy a punishment of up to Rs 5 lakh, and for subsequent violations, up to Rs 50 lakh.

According to reports, before introducing the bill, the state government had conducted a sample survey of gig workers to find about the benefits and challenges for them. A bill with regards to gig workers was announced earlier this year by chief minister Ashok Gehlot during his last budget speech. The budget session was also the last of the ongoing 15th legislative assembly as the state will go to polls later this year.