Bhubaneswar: Gig workers of Odisha have welcomed the provisions made for them in the Union Budget-2025, which promised them healthcare benefits under PM Jan Arogya Yojana and identity cards under the e-Shram portal, among others.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget-2025 in Parliament, said in her budget speech that gig workers of online platforms provide great dynamism to the new-age services economy.
She said the Centre will provide identity cards and registration on the e-Shram portal. “Union Budget-2025 brings healthcare support and formal registration, boosting social security for nearly 1 crore gig workers,” posted the Labour Ministry on X following the budget presentation.
“The growth of e-commerce in recent times has given rise to gig workers whose demand has increased. They were earlier deprived of basic benefits, and the Union Budget rightly brought social security benefits for them,” said social worker Alok Kar.
Jitendra Hota, a food delivery boy in Bhubaneswar, said it was a much-needed relief provided to them. “In want of jobs, we joined as delivery boys, but there is no job security in our sector,” he said.
Hota, a resident of VSS Nagar, said at least with the healthcare benefits and ID cards promised in the Union Budget, they will get some respite. “We want to thank the Centre for announcing the benefits,” he said.
Ranbir Mohanty, an electrician based in Bhubaneswar, also welcomed the move. “I am in this profession for nearly a decade now. The remuneration is very low to maintain a family, but somehow I managed it for years,” he said.
Mohanty said the announcement made by the govt will definitely help workers like them to a great extent. “We were deprived of the basic benefits for very long. Finally, the govt realised our existence,” he said.