Hyderabad: The nearly decade-long wait for 4.5 lakh gig workers in Telangana for welfare and social security ended here on Friday (November 14) when Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi released the rules framed under a legislation enacted to launch the programme. He participated in a bike rally of gig workers to express his solidarity with them ahead of the release function.Gandhi was here to address the valedictory session of ‘Bharat Summit’, a platform for policymakers, political party leaders, thinkers and change makers across the world, hosted by Congress and the Telangana government as a precursor to the global invest summit of the government next month.Riding pillion with a gig worker, Gandhi reached the venue for a public meeting one kilometre away surrounded by hundreds of gig workers. In March, Telangana became the fifth state behind Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar and Jharkhand in enacting a legislation to ensure higher wages and social security for this section of the workforce.Rahul Gandhi rides pillion with a gig worker in Hyderabad, Telangana, on November 14, 2026. Photo by arrangement.Releasing the government order containing the rules of the Telangana Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2026, at a sprawling ground in the midst of high-rise towers housing software companies in Madhapur, Gandhi observed that the legislation was a concession of the demands put forth to him by gig workers during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Telangana in 2023.“I had met you some time ago. You expressed your pain and concerns. I, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and other leaders had promised you that we will take action on your demands when the Congress comes to power. Today, we are fulfilling that promise,” he said.Though the Congress came to power on December 7, 2023, no headway could be made on gig workers’ issues until the appointment of a minister for labour in June last year. Dr. G. Vivek Venkatswamy held several consultations with workers leaders and other stakeholders to firm up a legislation more or less on the lines of the one adopted by the Congress government in Karnataka. It was approved by the Cabinet and passed by the Telangana Assembly.The Act was formally launched on June 2 to coincide with Telangana State formation day but could not be implemented in the absence of rules.Also read: Gig Workers Are Exploited Across India; Minimum National Protections Could Ease Their BurdenThe rules released today by Gandhi, which mark full-fledged implementation of the programme, envisage life insurance, accidental, disablement, medical and maternity benefits, old age protection and other social security measures decided by a board constituted as per the Act.What the 35 page Telangana Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Rules, 2026 say (in short):The aggregators and platform managements must register themselves with the board with complete details of workers enrolled within 45 days of incorporation. The details must be updated quarterly.The workers registered with the board will be given unique identification (UID) numbers. Using the number, the workers can access the dashboard of the board and update their personal information. Thus, they can have on their fingertips information about payments made to them by the aggregators, contributions to the welfare fund and eligibility norms to avail social security.The workers can avail online self-registration and also through citizen service centres. When they register with the aggregators, the language about remuneration, incentives, calculation of wages and exemptions from payment of wages should be easily understood by workers.The platform managements are not allowed to alter the conditions of enrolment of workers at their discretion. The same must be informed to workers with two weeks’ notice.Notices of withdrawal of services of workers must be served seven days in advance. It must be followed by inquiry and another seven days reserved for delivering the final decision. There was no need for prior notices if the workers were involved in criminal acts, harassment of customers or physical attacks. They can be removed straight away.Wages must be paid by deadline or within ten days thereafter. Digital statements of wages earned, exemptions and final payments must be clearly issued to workers. All payments must be made to Aadhaar linked bank accounts of workers.A welfare fund fee not exceeding two per cent on each transaction involving a payout made to workers shall be made to the welfare fund. The fee has to be fully borne by the aggregator or platform management.Since the rate, however, is subject to review by the state governments through separate notifications from time to time, it was initially fixed at one per cent now. Gandhi announced the same percentage at the rally today.An internal disputes resolution committee must be constituted by all agencies enrolling more than one hundred workers to address their grievances. The board will appoint a Grievance Redressal Officer whose decisions can be challenged only before a Deputy Commissioner of Labour.Huge penalties will be levied on platform managements if they violated rules or did not remit contributions to the welfare fund.What the Act saysThe rules above were framed in compliance with the Telangana Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act which traced Telangana, particularly Hyderabad, as a major hub for platform based services with over 4 lakh gig workers engaged in sectors like ride sharing, delivery, logistics and e-commerce.While this sector has generated employment, it has also exposed workers to vulnerabilities such as lack of social security, income instability and absence of grievance mechanisms. Therefore, the legislation sought to institutionalise social security, ensure fair working conditions and bring accountability to digital platforms while maintaining growth of the digital economy.The legislation aims toProvide statutory recognition to platform based gig workers.Establish a dedicated welfare board.Create a sustainable social security fund.Ensure fair contracts, transparency and income security.Provide grievance redressal and dispute resolution mechanisms.Regulate platform practices without disruption innovation.Gandhi expressed his regrets over gig workers lacking access to their own data when the whole country was working on the basis of data and a plethora of data centres like Google, WhatsApp and so on.“They could not see their own data like how much they worked and how much they earned. This Act gives you authority to view your data. What deliveries you made and what payments that you received will be available on your phones,” he said.Praising the “Gig Spot” as a parking place for gig workers on the move that he inaugurated digitally on the occasion, Rahul Gandhi said “you travel on scooters and motorcycles in hot sun but have no dedicated places to rest. Here are WiFi enabled rest zones that are created to relax in Hyderabad and other towns. “The Telangana government has started five such spots in Hyderabad as places to pause, refresh and recharge for workers.He also lauded the government guarantees through insurance schemes and pension for monetary loss suffered by workers when they are either bedridden or old aged. He said “In every transaction of delivery, Blinkit and Uber will pay one per cent of the value of the transaction which will be credited to your bank account through the welfare board”.Rahul Gandhi drew sharp parallels between the BJP-Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS), saying they had reintroduced bonded labour and 24-hour work schedules for the benefit of “industrialists like Ambanis and Adanis”, which posed grave risks to the health of workers.“For us (Congress), it is a partnership with gig workers. We want to partner you and give up protection and security. But, Modi wants to exploit you. Congress, me and Revanth Reddy stand by you,” he said.Earlier, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said that it was creditable that Gandhi had launched a scheme on the birth anniversary of his great-grandfather and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He recalled the 150-day Bharat Jodo Yatra which sowed the seed for the programme.Also read: The Gig Workers’ Strike Shows that Sustained Pressure From the Labour Force Does Yield ResultsSheikh Salahuddin, president of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, expressed happiness that the legislation revived the UIDs of 13,000 workers that were unilaterally cancelled by managements. He said the Act was the result of a decade-long struggle of workers. Labour Minister Vivek Venkatswamy gave a brief account of the framing of the policy.Its salient featuresA statutory welfare board comprising a tripartite body representing government, workers and aggregators for policy making, scheme formulation and monitoring.Mandatory registration of all gig workers and aggregators.A dedicated welfare and social security fund created out of aggregator contributions, government grants and corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds.Welfare fund fee sourced to transaction based levy on payout which is a flexible rate (to be notified) and aligning with code on social security. It will ensure no financial burden on workers.Worker rights to registration and unique identification, access to social security schemes, grievance redressal and transparency in algorithmic decisions.Fair contracts and remuneration with mandatory disclosure of pay structure, incentives and deductions. Government can prescribe standard remuneration rates of payment.Income and job protection with no arbitrary deductions, timely payments and termination only with reasoned orders after a seven-day notice.Working conditions with emphasis on safety and health obligations on platforms and non-discrimination through algorithms.Real time digital governance with the aid of Welfare Fund Fee Verification System.Real time tracking of payments, contributions and benefits.Grievance redressal with government appointed officer, disposal within 30 days and appellate mechanism.Dispute resolution with mandatory internal committees for large platforms.Strong compliance framework to ensure penalties for non-payment of fees, quarterly returns and audit by Accountant General.