Tamil Nadu to Provide Subsidy for Gig Workers to Purchase E-Scooters
During the budget announcement, Tamil Nadu's finance minister, Thangam Thenarasu, announced that the state will provide a 20,000 rupee ($230) subsidy to chosen gig workers to purchase e-scooters.
As more youth sign up with online platforms to deliver groceries and food, Tamil Nadu is also planning to launch an insurance program for about 150,000 gig workers to cover unintentional deaths and disabilities.
Competitor Ather's electric scooters start at 99,999 rupees, while Ola's products start at 79,999 rupees.
Additionally, the state would provide lounges for these workers in major cities like Coimbatore, a textile powerhouse, and Chennai, its capital, where summer temperatures sometimes surpass 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
K.C. Gopikumar, the head of the Tamil Nadu Food and Allied Products Delivery Workers Union, praised the welfare and subsidy initiatives but asked the government to expand their use and provide workers with improved benefits like paid time off.
Since the current DMK administration swept to power in 2021, this is its fifth budget. The construction of a new airport in Parandur, close to Chennai, has been accelerated, according to FM Thenarasu.
The ambitious Kalaignar Kanavu Illam housing program, for which the state government has set aside Rs 3,500 crore, would give one lakh new homes to the state's impoverished residents. The program, which bears the name of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, aims to provide low-income households with inexpensive homes.
One lakh college students would receive education loans of Rs 2,500 crore from the Tamil Nadu government.
A budget of Rs 1,000 crore has been set aside to upgrade the facilities at government schools.
For the modernization of drinking water infrastructure, Rs 675 crore has been set aside. With an investment of more than Rs 26,000 crore, the state FM also announced numerous drinking water projects in TN's Erode, Mayiladthurai, Thiruvallur, and other districts.
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In Tamil Nadu, 1.50 lakh workers will be covered under a group insurance plan. According to the Finance Minister, Tamil Nadu has already established a welfare board for gig workers. A scheme to provide gig workers with Rs 20,000 to purchase e-scooters for their jobs will shortly be introduced by the DMK government.