Hyderabad: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took an auto ride in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills on the final day of poll campaigning in Telangana on Tuesday, November 28.
Before taking the ride, the Congress leader donning an auto driver uniform sat in between auto drivers and took a selfie with them.
He later hopped into the auto for a ride with security personnel running along on auto sides. A video of the scene surfaced on social media.
Rahul Gandhi assures law of welfare to gig workers
Prior to the auto ride, the Congress leader spoke to sanitary and gig workers in Hyderabad on Tuesday and said, “If Congress is voted to power in Telangana, it will consider bringing in legislation for the welfare of Gig workers on the lines of a law passed recently in Rajasthan.”
The leader gave this assurance during an interaction with Gig workers here.
He told them that after the Congress comes to power, the chief minister and minister concerned will hold a meeting with them and decide on the welfare measures for them.
He was accompanied by state Congress working president and former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin, who is the party candidate from Jubilee Hills.
Rahul Gandhi also told the Gig workers that under the law brought by the Congress government in Rajasthan, for every order the company deposits some money for social security measures like pension and insurance.
“If somebody works for Swiggy and later moves to another company, his savings gets transferred and it keeps on growing,” he said.
The Congress MP said a welfare board can also be set up for Gig workers to address issues for their welfare.
The Gig workers briefed him about the problems they face every day. They said their earnings per order has been coming down while the expenditure is going up due to the increase in petrol price.
They said the delivery charges are very low and the companies are not giving them vehicles or expenses for petrol. They also complained about the lack of insurance in case of accidents.
“I understood from what you told me that you are caught between your companies and customers. This is 21st century slavery,” Rahul Gandhi remarked during the interaction.
He also heard about the problems of autorickshaw drivers. He said the Congress party in its manifesto has promised Rs12,000 financial assistance to them.
It will also bring a single permit and ensure one-time settlement of pending traffic challans with a discount of 50 per cent.
Sanitation workers working on a contract basis also explained to Rahul Gandhi their problems due to lack of job security and other benefits during the interaction.
(With inputs from IANS)
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