Rs 72,000 a Year for Poorest 20% Families: Rahul’s Poll Promise

Congress President Rahul Gandhi with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Defence Minister AK Antony during the CWC meeting, in New Delhi on 25 March.

(Photo: PTI)

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday, 25 March, outlined the details of his minimum income guarantee scheme, labelling it NYAY (Nyunatam Aay Yojana).

"I promise that there will be justice for the poor. The Congress guarantees that 20 percent families belonging to poorest of the poor category in India will be given Rs 72,000 each annually," he said.

Five crore families and 25 crore people are expected to benefit from the scheme.

‘Party Consulted World-renowned Economists’

Addressing the media after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet in New Delhi, Gandhi said, “People ask me what would be the minimum income line, the line would be Rs 12,000 a month.”

He added that the the party has studied the fiscal implications of the scheme and has consulted renowned economists and experts before finalising it.

“People have suffered in the last five years. We will give justice to them… All calculations have been done. There is no such scheme anywhere else in the world… It is an extremely powerful, ground-breaking and well-thought through idea. We have consulted many economists on the scheme.”

Rahul Gandhi

"It will be a fiscally prudent scheme," he said, adding that if voted to power the Congress will identify such families who live below the poverty mark.

‘Historic Day,’ Gandhi Says on Twitter

The Congress chief termed it a "historic day", saying the Congress had launched its final assault on poverty on the day.

Gandhi made the scheme public soon after discussing it at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee, which had met at the AICC headquarters to discuss and give final shape to the party's manifesto.

Top Congress Leaders Attend

The CWC is the highest decision-making body of the party and is chaired by Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

Top Congress leaders, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, AK Antony and P Chidambaram were present at the meeting.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who took charge last month as AICC general secretary for UP east, was also present.

The party manifesto for the Lok Sabha election is being framed by a committee headed by P Chidambaram, which has some other members too.

The meeting on Monday in Delhi comes just days after the CWC meet in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad on 12 March.

(With inputs from PTI and The Hindu.)