Hyderabad, May 3 -- In what is being described as a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, the Telangana government has extended financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of five gig and platform workers who died in road accidents while on duty, bringing the total payout to each bereaved family to Rs 15 lakh, including Rs 10 lakh from the respective platform companies.

The cheques were distributed to the families of five workers - Ahmed Bin Abdul Khader, a Swiggy delivery worker, G Shyam Sundar, an Uber bike taxi driver; Lokurthi Naresh, a Zomato delivery worker, Garlapati Shashidhar Reddy, a taxi driver, and Daravath Mahesh, a Blinkit delivery worker.

Union's persistent push

Labour Minister G Vivek Venkataswamy credited t...