Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme: Arun Jaitley Calls Rahul Gandhi's Rs 12,000 Income Promise A 'Bluff'
After Indian National Congress (INC) president announced ‘Nyay,' an income guarantee scheme of Rs 12,000 a month for poor and the farmer, union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Monday hit out at the scheme describing it as “final assault on poverty”.
New Delhi, March 25: After Indian National Congress (INC) president announced ‘Nyay,' an income guarantee scheme of Rs 12,000 a month for poor and the farmer, union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Monday hit out at the scheme describing it as “final assault on poverty”. He added that the scheme was 1.5 times less than what Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was paying to poor. Rahul Gandhi Explains Congress' Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme, Promises 'Rs 72,000 Per Year to 20% Most Poor Families'.
Jaitley added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government's welfare benefits averaged at Rs 1,06,800 annually, as against Rs 72,000 that Congress is promising. "The simple arithmetic is if multiple bank transfers to the five crore poor families, the existing payment to which is mostly being done. The above averages Rs 1,06,800 annually as against Rs 72,000 which is the Congress now seeks to promise through the DBT mechanism," Jaitley said. Will Keep a Telescopic View on Rahul Gandhi's Income in Election Nomination, Says BJP.
The Senior BJP leader told the media that Congress has a long history of making "bluff announcements" and misleading the country in the name of removing poverty. "Merely slogans and statements will not remove poverty. It will go by providing resources which the Modi government has by giving the poor houses, gas connections, roads... You (Congress) have cheated the poor many times and are trying to do so again. But people will not fall in this trap this time," he said. Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi Firm Up Narratives in Election Criss-Cross.
Post by Union Minister Arun Jaitley:
In a Facebook post titled 'Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi already giving to poor much more than what the Congress promises?', Jaitley criticising the opposition said no party has betrayed country more than Congress. “The UPA Government, between 2004 and 2014, conferred a large number of ‘rights’ without resources to implement them. The legendary bank loan waiver was announced at Rs 70,000 crore – a one-time measure. Of this only Rs 52,000 crore was actually allocated, a significant part of which went to the businessmen of New Delhi (Ref. CAG Report),” Jaitley said.
“Since ‘Garibi Hatao’ slogan was given, has ruled India for more than two-thirds of that period. If it has failed to even address poverty during this period, why should India believe it?” Jaitley further added.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 25, 2019 09:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).