NEW DELHI, 1 February: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech on Saturday, announced that the government will provide identity cards to gig workers on online platforms. They will also be registered on the e-Shram portal and provided access to healthcare via a social security scheme. As part of the socio-economic upliftment, such workers will be provided healthcare facilities under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
Sitharaman added that the measure is likely to assist nearly 1 crore workers. Earlier, the Ministry of Labour and Employment issued an advisory to aggregators, directing them to register themselves as well as platform workers engaged with them on the e-Shram portal.
FM says, “Gig workers of online platforms provide great dynamism to the new age services economy. Recognizing their contribution, our government will arrange for their identity cards and registration on the e-Shram portal,” she said, adding that the scheme will benefit 1 crore gig workersโ.
Sitharaman also announced a revamp of the PM SVANidhi scheme to include enhanced loans from banks, UPI-linked credit cards with a Rs 30,000 limit, and capacity-building support. It is a special microcredit facility for providing affordable loans to street vendors.
Sitharaman, in her speech, claimed that PM SVANidhi has benefited more than 68 lakh street vendors through respite from the high-interest information sector loans, the minister said.
