Tamil Nadu announces subsidies for e-autos, CNG conversion, and gig worker insurance
Tamil Nadu unveils subsidies for electric/CNG autos, ₹10 lakh insurance for gig workers, and skill/training schemes for construction workers.
The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced a series of welfare measures for drivers, gig workers, and construction workers, as part of the demand for grants presented by Labour Welfare and Skill Development Minister J. Mohamed Farvas in the Assembly.
Under the new initiatives, 1,000 workers registered with the Tamil Nadu Unorganised Drivers and Automobile Workshop Workers Welfare Board will receive a 50% subsidy, up to ₹75,000, to purchase new electric auto-rickshaws. Another 1,000 workers will get a 50% subsidy, capped at ₹30,000, to convert their existing autos to run on compressed natural gas (CNG).
For gig workers, the state will provide accidental insurance cover of ₹10 lakh to those enrolled with the Tamil Nadu platform-based gig workers welfare board.
The government also plans to set up Construction Skill Centres of Excellence in five government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) at a cost of ₹76.46 crore, aimed at training registered construction workers in modern technologies. Additionally, 'Transit Accommodation Centres' with basic amenities will be established in Chennai and Coimbatore at a cost of ₹14 crore to provide safe lodging for construction workers migrating to metropolitan areas.
A new scheme, 'Ayalagam Sellum Tamil Nadu Kattumana Vettri Karangal', will offer international-standard skill training and foreign language courses to 1,000 registered construction workers, with an outlay of ₹15.06 crore, to facilitate overseas employment opportunities.