Rahul vows minimum income to 250M poor

new delhi — Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that nearly 250 million poor people in the country will get financial assistance of Rs72,000 per annum if the party is voted to power under the ambitious minimum income guarantee scheme which the party has named “Nyay”.

Announcing the details of the party’s promised scheme at a media briefing here, Rahul said the Congress will provide Rs72,000 per annum to 20 per cent of the poorest families in the country. The scheme will benefit 50 million families and 250 million individuals directly, according to Rahul.

He said the scheme was “unprecedented in the world”. “Nyay” (the minimum income scheme) will be the Congress’ major poll promise ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and Rahul termed it as “a final assault on poverty”.

He said the “minimum income line” is Rs12,000 per annum and the scheme will benefit individuals earning less than that.

“Congress guarantees that 20 per cent of the most poor families will be given Rs720 billion every year. The amount will be transferred directly to the accounts of 20 per cent of the poorest families,” Rahul said at the beginning of his Press conference.

However, he subsequently clarified that the scheme will supplement the income of the poor if it is less than Rs12,000 per month.

“The minimum income line is Rs12,000 per month. Whatever the difference — say the income is Rs6,000 — we will top it up. Those who earn less than Rs12,000, we will take their earnings to Rs12,000,” Rahul said.

Rahul said the scheme will be implemented in phases and there will be a pilot project. —