Gehlot alleges BJP govt has stalled RLSDC, seeks revival of Congress era welfare plan

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday accused the BJP-led state government of putting on hold the proposed Rajasthan Logistic Service Delivery Corporation (RLSDC), a body announced during the previous Congress regime to protect contractual workers from exploitation.

The RLSDC was conceived as a state-run corporation aimed at replacing the existing placement agency system in government departments. It was intended to enable direct and transparent engagement of skilled and unskilled contractual workers while ensuring full wages, timely payments and social security coverage such as EPF and ESI . The corporation was also expected to bring greater accountability in outsourced hiring and reduce alleged exploitation through intermediary agencies.

In a social media post, Gehlot said his government had taken a “historic decision” to constitute the corporation to free lakhs of contractual workers in the state from exploitation. He stated that the primary objective of RLSDC was to ensure full remuneration and social security benefits for thousands of personnel working through placement agencies.

“It is unfortunate that, like many other public interest announcements, the BJP government has stalled this as well,” he wrote, urging the state to act swiftly keeping in mind the future of low income workers and their families . He added that giving momentum to decisions taken in public interest reflects the true integrity of democracy.

The RLSDC proposal was approved by the Cabinet in October 2023 , but it was not operationalised before the change in government following the Assembly elections.

While the state government has not issued an official explanation regarding RLSDC, it has since assuming office launched and expanded welfare initiatives for gig and unorganised workers through dedicated funds and support schemes. However, RLSDC was envisaged as a structural reform mechanism aimed specifically at streamlining government contractual hiring and reducing dependence on placement agencies.

So far, no formal notification establishing the corporation has been issued.