26.3.19

Rahul’s poll pitch to poor: Nyay


Congress president Rahul Gandhi promised that his party would, if it comes to power, guarantee an income of at least ₹12,000 a month for India’s poorest families by giving them ₹6,000 a month. The head of the party’s data analytics department Praveen Chakravarty explained the provenance of the ₹12,000 number by pointing out that data shows that India’s poorest earn between ₹5,000 and ₹6,000 a month.

Gandhi said the minimum income guarantee scheme, named Nyay (justice) by the party, would cover 50 million families, or 250 million individuals, that constitute the poorest 20% of Indian households.

It will cost ₹3.6 lakh crore, around 2% of India’s GDP, but Gandhi insisted that it was fiscally prudent.

“Remember the number… Congress guarantees 20% of India’s poor will make at least ₹72,000 annually,” Gandhi said after a CWC meeting that approved the party’s draft manifesto, to be released on April 2.


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