Published Mar 23, 2026 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Mar 23, 2026 | 8:00 AM
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy
Synopsis: Activists and Civil society groups in Telangana have urged Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to constitute a Hamali Workers Welfare Board during the ongoing Assembly session, citing the Congress’ 2023 poll promise. In a joint letter, they said the board is needed to safeguard the rights and livelihoods of over 10 lakh hamali workers and pointed to ongoing exploitation across markets and godowns.
A joint letter by civil society activists and organisations has urged Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to constitute the Hamali Workers Welfare Board during the ongoing Assembly session, as per the Congress’ pre-election promise in 2023.
The demand was made in a letter jointly initiated by the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) and the Telangana People’s Joint Action Committee, which said this is essential to safeguard the rights and interests of over 10 lakh hamali workers across the state.
In its Abhaya Hastam manifesto released in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly polls, the Congress promised to establish a welfare board and provide social security for unorganised workers, set up a specific welfare board for hamali workers, issue health cards to them, and establish a ‘Hamali Nagar’ in every mandal centre, where houses would be allocated to workers.
In the letter, activists described the challenges and exploitation faced by hamali workers across godowns and markets. They said the state is bound to protect the rights, dignity and livelihoods of all workers, whether from Telangana or other states seeking work.
Activists said that 2026 marks 50 years since the enactment of the Telangana Mutta, Jattu, Hamal and Other Manual Workers (Regulation of Employment and Welfare) Act, 1976, and the Rules, 1977. These provide the legal framework to set up institutions and uphold hamali workers’ rights.
The Act and Rules mandate the state government to establish a Board (Section 6) and an Advisory Committee (Section 14), representing employers, unprotected workers, members of the legislature and the government. Effective implementation of the Act is the least needed to secure the rights and interests of hamali workers.
Signatories said that last week Minister Dansari Anasuya (Seethakka) assured them she would take up the issue with the Chief Minister. She gave this assurance while addressing the Hamali Maha Garjana in Hanmakonda, a gathering of 7,000 hamali workers from 30 districts across the state.
They said they hope the Chief Minister will issue immediate directions to constitute a statutory Welfare Board and Advisory Committee for hamali workers, with budget allocations. This would ensure fair wages and payments, PF, ESI, health rights and housing.
Activists also pointed to statutory welfare boards and schemes in Kerala and Maharashtra for hamali workers, and said Telangana must adopt similar measures at the state and district level.
Signatories to the appeal include senior activists, academics and scientists from Telangana, including Prof K Haragopal, Dr K Babu Rao, Prof K Laxminarayana; human rights activists Jeevan Kumar, Dr Tirupathaiah, Vasantha Lakshmi; feminist activists V Sandhya, V Rukmini Rao, S Ashalatha, K Sajaya, Bhanumathi, Meera Sanghamitra; social activists Venkat Reddy, Kanneganti Ravi, P Shankar, Saraswati Kavula, Maria Tabassum, Shaik Salauddin, Sreeharsha, Lateef Khan, Sowmya Kidambi; climate justice activists Ruchit Asha Kamal, Nikita Naidu, Deeksha; and law researchers Akhil Surya and Raja Chandra, among others.
