SP MLA Calls for Gig Worker Protection Law and Bhiwandi Logistics Park in Maharashtra
Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh has made a significant demand ahead of the upcoming budget session of the Maharashtra legislature. He has called for the introduction of a bill to provide facilities and protection to gig workers, modeled after a similar law in Tamil Nadu, and the announcement of a logistics park for Bhiwandi.
Demand for Gig Worker Legislation
In a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shaikh highlighted that approximately 5 lakh gig workers are employed across 350 platforms in Maharashtra, with a large concentration in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). He expressed concern that these workers lack social security benefits and proper remuneration, leading to growing dissatisfaction among them.
Shaikh pointed to Tamil Nadu as a model, where the government expanded the Tamil Nadu Manual Workers Act 1982 in 2023 to include platform-based gig workers. This move established the Tamil Nadu Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Board, which provides social security benefits such as insurance.
"A bill should be introduced in the upcoming budget session to provide facilities and protection to gig workers," Shaikh emphasized, urging the Maharashtra government to follow suit and ensure the welfare of this growing workforce.
Push for Bhiwandi Logistics Park
Additionally, Shaikh addressed the need for infrastructure development in Bhiwandi, which is recognized as Asia's largest warehousing hub. He noted that the logistics sector has become integral to the region's identity, but inadequate infrastructure is hindering employment growth.
Shaikh recalled that in the 2025 monsoon session, Minister Uday Samant announced the establishment of a logistics park in Bhiwandi, but no progress has been made since. He called for Chief Minister Fadnavis to intervene and announce the setting up of the logistics park while presenting the budget, arguing that this would boost the local economy and create job opportunities.
The MLA's demands underscore key issues in Maharashtra's labor and industrial sectors, with potential implications for policy and development in the state.
