Representational photo
Invoking the Congress party’s pre-election assurances in the Abhaya Hastam Manifesto 2023, a broad coalition of civil society groups and activists has written to chief minister A Revanth Reddy, urging the immediate constitution of a Hamali Workers Welfare Board during the ongoing Assembly session.
The signatories stressed that fulfilling this promise is essential to safeguard the rights and livelihoods of more than ten lakh hamali workers across Telangana.
In their letter, the activists describe the harsh and exploitative conditions faced by hamali workers in markets and godowns, where long hours, insecure employment, and lack of social protection remain widespread.
They argue that despite playing a vital role in the state’s economy, these workers continue to be excluded from basic welfare measures. The proposed welfare board, they say, would provide a structured mechanism to ensure fair wages, timely payments, and access to benefits such as provident fund, ESI, healthcare, and housing.
The appeal also highlights that the demand is not merely political but grounded in law. The Telangana Mutta, Jattu, Hamal and Other Manual Workers (Regulation of Employment and Welfare) Act, 1976 mandates the establishment of a Welfare Board and an Advisory Committee representing workers, employers, legislators, and the government.
With 2026 marking fifty years since the enactment of this legislation, the signatories note that its effective implementation is long overdue.
The activists welcomed a recent assurance by minister Dansari Anasuya, who said she would take up the issue with the chief minister. The assurance came during the Hamali Maha Garjana held in Hanmakonda, where around 7,000 workers from 30 districts gathered, underscoring the scale of the demand and the urgency of government action.
The letter has been endorsed by a diverse group of signatories cutting across academia, social movements, and rights-based organisations.
These include senior academics such as Prof. Haragopal, Dr. K Babu Rao and Prof. K Laxminarayana; human rights activists Jeevan Kumar, Dr. Tirupathaiah and Vasantha Lakshmi; feminist activists V Sandhya, V Rukmini Rao, S Ashalatha, K Sajaya, Bhanumathi and Meera Sanghamitra; social activists Venkat Reddy, Kanneganti Ravi, P Shankar, Saraswati Kavula, Maria Tabassum, Shaik Salauddin, Sreeharsha, Lateef Khan and Sowmya Kidambi; climate justice activists Ruchit Asha Kamal, Nikita Naidu and Deeksha; and legal researchers Akhil Surya and Raja Chandra, among others.
It was jointly initiated by the National Alliance of People’s Movements and the Telangana People’s Joint Action Committee, in solidarity with the Telangana Hamali Workers Union, reflecting a wide and unified civil society push, a press release stated.
Citing examples from states such as Kerala and Maharashtra, where welfare boards for similar workers are already in place, the signatories urged the Telangana government to act without delay.
They called for the immediate constitution of a statutory welfare board and advisory committee, backed by adequate budgetary allocations, to ensure dignity, social security, and justice for hamali workers.
This post was last modified on March 22, 2026 8:14 am