Less than a month before India starts voting for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress President Rahul Gandhi addressing the media on Monday stated if elected to power, his party will give Rs 72,000 per annum to 20% of the poorest families in the country.
Making the announcement at a press conference in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said around 5 crore families – around 25 crore people – will directly benefit from the scheme. He stated that while 14 crore people were lifted out of poverty under the MGNREGA scheme, this scheme would lift 25 crore people out of poverty.
The Congress President said the scheme would supplement the income of those earning Rs 12,000 or less per month. “The minimum income line is Rs 12,000. Those who have income less than Rs 12,000 we will top up (their income),” he said.
“Final assault on poverty has begun. We will wipe out poverty from the country,” Rahul Gandhi said. “It is an extremely powerful, ground-breaking and well-thought-through idea. We have consulted many economists on the scheme,” he added.
Gandhi said that the scheme will be implemented throughout the country in phases.
“People have suffered in the last five years and we are going to give justice to them,” he added.
He added that the party had studied the fiscal implications of the scheme and consulted renowned economists and experts before finalising the scheme.
“The government has this money. If Narendra Modi can give Rs 3.5 lakh crore to India’s richest, then we do the same for India’s poorest families,” Rahul Gandhi said.
The Congress President was addressing the media after a meeting of the Congress Working Committee.
India goes to the polls from April 11. The Lok Sabha Elections will be held in 7 phases and the results will be announced on May 23.