Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has expressed serious concerns about the safety of delivery personnel working for fast delivery platforms such as Zepto, Blinkit, BigBasket, and JioMart, which promise deliveries within 10 to 15 minutes.
In an official letter, Labour and Employees’ State Insurance Department Additional Secretary Niti Ranjan Sen has urged the Commerce & Transport Department to take prompt regulatory action to address these issues.
Referring to the Odisha State Workflow Automation System (OSWAS) Diary No. 3497 dated January 22, 2025, from the Office of the Chief Secretary, the letter underscores the urgent need to enforce mandatory safety standards for delivery workers employed by these platforms.
“The aggregator/platform companies must adhere to these standards, including providing proper training for delivery personnel on road safety and emergency response,” the letter states.
Concerns have been raised that the pressure to meet aggressive delivery timelines is putting delivery riders—many of whom are gig workers with limited formal training—at heightened risk on busy city roads.
