Congress promises ₹72,000 a year to India’s poor

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on March 25 that India’s 20% most-poor families will get ₹72,000 per annum under the minimum basic income guarantee scheme. Addressing the media after a Congress working committee (CWC) meeting, Rahul said the scheme was named  Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY).

Over five crore families and 25 crore people will benefit from the scheme, where the cash backs will be transferred directly to the bank account. He said if Modi could give money to the rich, he could to the poor.

Through the scheme, the beneficiaries would get an assured sum of ₹72,000. For instance, if a family earns ₹5,000 a month, through the scheme, they would get a sum of ₹7,000, making the minimum income guarantee of ₹12,000. He was optimistic of the scheme and said that it would be the second phase of the MNREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme). Rahul’s announcement comes just as the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and UPA (United Progressive Alliance) are actively campaigning with their poll-sops.