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Raghav Chadha urged the government in Rajya Sabha to end 10-minute delivery services by quick-commerce companies, citing cruelty and unsafe conditions for gig workers.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha speaking in Rajya Sabha. (Image: PTI/File photo)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha on Friday urged the government to put an end to the trend of 10-minute delivery services offered by quick-commerce companies, describing the practice as a form of “cruelty” toward gig workers who are pushed into unsafe working conditions to meet strict deadlines.
Speaking during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the AAP MP reminded the House that delivery staff are human beings with families and not machines built for nonstop speed.
“I want to tell you that these people are not robots. They are also someone’s father, husband, brother, or son. The House should think about them. And the cruelty of this 10-minute delivery should end,” Raghav Chadha said, news agency PTI reported.
He argued that while customers enjoy the convenience of instant delivery, lawmakers must consider the well-being of the workers who make it possible. He described delivery personnel employed by platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto, Ola, Uber and home-service providers as the “invisible wheels of the Indian economy”. He noted that each mobile notification about a ride or order hides the effort of a worker who often goes unrecognised.
He said the rapid expansion of quick-commerce companies has led to billion-dollar valuations, yet gig workers continue to face conditions that he claimed are worse than those of daily-wage labourers. Chadha listed three key problems: unrealistic delivery speeds, customer harassment, and unsafe work environments.
Highlighting the risks, the AAP leader explained that many workers feel compelled to overspeed and violate traffic rules because they fear penalties. “A delivery boy standing on the red light keeps thinking that if he is late, the rating will fall, the incentive will be cut, the app will log out, and the ID will be blocked,” he said, adding that this pressure leads them to endanger their lives.
Chadha also pointed out that these workers spend long hours outdoors in all weather without proper safety gear, job security or insurance. Despite this, he said, they continue to mask their hardships and ask customers politely for better ratings.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. December 05, 2025, 18:15 IST
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