KOCHI: The state government’s proposal to improve the working conditions of gig workers has brought cheer to hundreds of workers in Kochi, who see it as a long-awaited recognition of their daily struggles.
The plan to set up dedicated “gig hubs” with modern facilities for rest has been widely welcomed by workers who spend long hours on the road. However, with hundreds of gig workers operating under various platforms, many have raised concerns over how many such hubs would be established in a space-constrained city like Kochi and where they would be located.
“There are many women gig workers in the city. These hubs would be a huge relief for us. They should have proper restrooms with sanitary napkin disposal systems and safety measures for women,” said Sreeja Kumar (32), a part-time food delivery worker.
Rahul Thomas (26), associated with a supermarket delivery network, said more clarity was needed on the project’s scale. “Kochi has hundreds of gig workers. It is better to have multiple hubs rather than just a few. The authorities can consider a mix of large and small hubs,” he suggested.
Some workers also highlighted the need for medical support. “We work long hours in extreme weather conditions and many workers have health issues. Emergency medical aid at these hubs would be a big help,” said Satheesh K S (51), a food delivery worker. He suggested setting up major hubs at transport nodes such as Vyttila and smaller hubs near metro stations.
In addition, workers urged the government to announce financial support schemes alongside the infrastructure push. Amal Raj (29), another gig worker, said vehicle loan assistance was crucial. “The government announced incentives for autorickshaw drivers to shift to electric vehicles. Similar schemes should be introduced for gig workers to buy electric bikes. Charging stations can also be set up at gig hubs,” he said.
Citizenship
G20 crore earmarked for Nativity Card
A permanent nativity card, seen as the LDF government’s response to contemporary concerns over citizenship, has received a budgetary allocation of J20 crore. Finance Minister K N Balagopal said the card was a necessity in the backdrop of attempts by the Centre to implement the Citizenship Act. He also said the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, has created apprehensions among people, including minorities. His announcement came even as legal experts questioned the limited scope of the nativity card outside the state, especially for matters such as citizenship which comes under the Union List.
Kudumbashree
G275 cr boost to micro enterprises
Kudumbashree has secured J275 crore — fund that is aimed at strengthening micro-enterprises, local economic development, microfinance, and livelihood activities. Of this, J22.27 crore has been earmarked to strengthen Kudumbashree’s marketing network. The expansion of the Kerala Chicken project implemented through the group is also proposed. A new project, ‘Vanitha Samruddhi - Women Empowerment Programme’, with an allocation of J10 crore, aims to economically empower women from scheduled caste communities in collaboration with Kudumbashree neighbourhood groups.
Vizhinjam
Non-major ports, devpt find space
The budget has earmarked J65 crore for the development of non-major ports in the state to effectively utilise the opportunities opened through this. An amount of J17 crore will be allotted to the industrial and logistics infrastructure requirements of the port, along with an additional J4 crore for acquisition of 50 acres of land at Kuttichal for the same. A plan will be prepared to invest J1,000 crore through a loan via KINFRA, towards which J100 crore has also been earmarked.The budget also allocated J10 crore for the preliminary activities for the empowerment of the Blue Economy through marine resources.
Burning issue
man-animal conflict allocation goes up
Keen to address human-wildlife conflict, the budget has earmarked J1,000 crore for different schemes, a rise of J29.60 crore from last year. The Forest and Wild Life Conservation sector got J288.60 crore for different activities. “Priority is given to smart physical barriers, warning systems, improvement of wildlife habitat, public awareness and strengthening of Rapid Response Teams and First Response Teams,” said the finance minister. An amount of J50 crore has been given for Forest Conservation (Survey of Forest Boundary & Forest Protection) project while J5 crore has been earmarked for ‘Big tree plantations’ project.