New Delhi, March 24 Highlighting the daily hardships faced by gig workers, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated on Tuesday that the Delhi government would establish rest facilities attached to Atal Canteens, providing them with a place to eat, recharge, and take breaks during long work hours.
While presenting the Rs 1.03 lakh crore budget for FY2026-27 in the Assembly, Gupta said that gig workers, many of whom spend several hours on two-wheelers navigating city traffic, often struggle to find safe places to eat or charge their phones. The lack of such facilities has also been linked to a rise in fatigue-related road accidents, Gupta said.
"Gig workers are on the move for several hours on our two-wheelers. There are rarely any places where these gig workers can stop and have lunch or charge their phones. There are a lot of accidents due to these issues," the chief minister said in the budget speech.
Announcing a targeted intervention, Gupta said the government will develop rest rooms alongside Atal Canteens to support delivery personnel and other gig workers across the city.
Gupta also announced Rs 100 crore for 'Establishing Atal Canteens' in JJ clusters to provide nutritious meals.
The government also plans to institutionalize support for this growing workforce. "We will form a gig welfare board as soon as possible," Gupta said.
Emphasizing the scale of the sector, she added, "A large number of gig workers are engaged here in the city. To ensure their protection and welfare, we will constitute a Gig Workers Welfare Board as soon as possible.
Gupta said that the move is expected to benefit thousands of app-based workers who form a crucial part of Delhi's urban economy.
The chief minister announced several welfare schemes, including free diagnostic tests for newborn babies, free bicycles to 1.3 lakh girl students and laptops for meritorious students, and a new semiconductor policy, besides 'emergency operation centre' for disaster management in the budget.