March 25, 2019
NEW DELHI: Calling it as the final assault on poverty, Congress president Rahul
Gandhi on Monday announced that his party is making an electoral promise of
Rs 72,000 per year to 5 crore poor families in India. Five crore poor families
ie 25 crore poor people will benefit, he said.
After a meeting of the party's working committee, Rahul Gandhi addressed the
media and made the announcement: "20 per cent of the poorest families will be
given an income support of Rs 72,000 every year. All modalities have been worked
out and this is possible within our budget. We have studied fiscal implications
of the scheme."
Rahul Gandhi said the Nyunatam Aay Yojana, or NYAY (meaning justice), as he
called it, is aimed at covering close to 25 crore poor citizens. He said the
Congress has studied the fiscal implications and consulted renowned economists
and experts before finalising the scheme.
The proposal would cost the exchequer Rs 3.6 lakh crore per annum.
"The final assault on poverty has begun, we will wipe out poverty from the
country," Rahul declared emphatically.
The money will be transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, he
added.
"Five crore families and 25 crore members of these families will directly benefit
from the scheme. We will end poverty in this country," he said.
"It is an extremely powerful, dynamic, well-thought through idea. We have done
all our calculations and will be implementing it," Rahul said.
Explaining the scheme, Congress leader Rajeev Gowda tweeted: “The poorest 20
percent of India's families have an average income of Rs 6,000 per month. NYAY
will provide them an unconditional transfer of Rs 6,000 per month totalling
to Rs 72,000 per year.”
This will be a Federal scheme with States' participation and will be rolled
out in phases.
Top leaders of the party had met in the morning to give the final shape to
the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha election starting on April 11. The meeting
of the CWC, the highest decision-making body of the party, was chaired by Rahul
Gandhi.
The Congress has been batting for a minimum income guarantee scheme assuring
a minimum income to the poor people as being the responsibility of a welfare-oriented
State to ensure that nobody goes without food in the country.
The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 and the
results will be announced on May 23.
