Somewhat reminiscent of his grandmother Indira Gandhi’s poll promise of ‘garibi hatao, or alleviate poverty, in the 1971 Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Congress, if voted to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, would implement a minimum income guarantee for the poor of India.
The Congress president made the promise while addressing a public meeting in Chattisgarh’s Raipur. He also subsequently tweeted about it. Party sources said a minimum income guarantee for the poor, and not universal basic income (UBI), would be the key manifesto promise of the Congress party for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. They said the details would be made public in a calibrated manner in the weeks to come.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram, the chairperson of the Congress party's manifesto drafting committee, said the party will explain its plan in its manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
However, Gandhi's announcement was also an attempt to steal the thunder of Modi government’s interim budget, party sources admitted. Stand-in finance minister Piyush Goyal will present the interim budget in the Lok Sabha on Friday, and there is speculation that it could promise a minimum monthly income for farmers.
In a tweet after his speech at the rally, Gandhi said, “We cannot build a new India while millions of our brothers and sisters suffer the scourge of poverty. If voted to power in 2019, the Congress is committed to a ‘minimum income guarantee’ for every poor person, to help eradicate poverty and hunger. This is our vision and our promise.”
In its 2004 manifesto, the Congress party had promised farm loan waiver, which it implemented in 2008. At least since the run up to the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab Assembly polls in 2017, Gandhi has promised farm loan waivers in all Assembly polls. The Congress party promised to write off farm debts in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the recent Assembly polls in the three states. Post elections, the three Congress governments have implemented the promise.
Chidambaram said the Congress president’s announcement was “historic”, which “will mark a turning point in the lives of the poor”. “The principle of Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been discussed extensively in the last two years. The time has come to adapt the principle to our situation and our needs and implement the same for the poor. We will explain our plan in the Congress manifesto,” Chidambaram tweeted.
The former finance minister said 140 million people were lifted out of poverty between 2004 and 2014, the 10-years of Congress-led UPA rule at the Centre. “Now we should make a determined effort to wipe out poverty in India. The poor of India have the first charge on the resources of the country. Congress will find the resources to implement the promise of Rahul Gandhi,” Chidambaram tweeted.
Arvind Subramanian, who authored the 2016-17 Economic Survey, had mentioned UBI as a “radical option” to reduce poverty and vulnerability. “UBI has three components: universality, unconditionality, and agency (by providing support in the form of cash transfers to respect, not dictate, recipients’ choice),” the Economic Survey had stated. However, the Congress is mulling a minimum income guarantee for the poor, and not UBI.
In his speech in Raipur, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP of trying to create two Indias -- "one of the Rafale scam, Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi and the other of the poor farmers".
"The Congress has decided to take a historic decision... The Congress-led government is going to give minimum income guarantee. This means, each poor person in India will have minimum income. This means there will be no hungry, poor people in India," Gandhi said.
The Congress president also distributed loan waiver certificates to some of the beneficiary farmers during the 'Kisaan Abhaar Sammelan' held in the Chhattisgarh capital to express gratitude to Chhattisgarh's people, particularly farmers, for voting the Congress to power in the state after a gap of 15 years.
The Congress president made the promise while addressing a public meeting in Chattisgarh’s Raipur. He also subsequently tweeted about it. Party sources said a minimum income guarantee for the poor, and not universal basic income (UBI), would be the key manifesto promise of the Congress party for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. They said the details would be made public in a calibrated manner in the weeks to come.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram, the chairperson of the Congress party's manifesto drafting committee, said the party will explain its plan in its manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
However, Gandhi's announcement was also an attempt to steal the thunder of Modi government’s interim budget, party sources admitted. Stand-in finance minister Piyush Goyal will present the interim budget in the Lok Sabha on Friday, and there is speculation that it could promise a minimum monthly income for farmers.
In a tweet after his speech at the rally, Gandhi said, “We cannot build a new India while millions of our brothers and sisters suffer the scourge of poverty. If voted to power in 2019, the Congress is committed to a ‘minimum income guarantee’ for every poor person, to help eradicate poverty and hunger. This is our vision and our promise.”
In its 2004 manifesto, the Congress party had promised farm loan waiver, which it implemented in 2008. At least since the run up to the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab Assembly polls in 2017, Gandhi has promised farm loan waivers in all Assembly polls. The Congress party promised to write off farm debts in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the recent Assembly polls in the three states. Post elections, the three Congress governments have implemented the promise.
Chidambaram said the Congress president’s announcement was “historic”, which “will mark a turning point in the lives of the poor”. “The principle of Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been discussed extensively in the last two years. The time has come to adapt the principle to our situation and our needs and implement the same for the poor. We will explain our plan in the Congress manifesto,” Chidambaram tweeted.
The former finance minister said 140 million people were lifted out of poverty between 2004 and 2014, the 10-years of Congress-led UPA rule at the Centre. “Now we should make a determined effort to wipe out poverty in India. The poor of India have the first charge on the resources of the country. Congress will find the resources to implement the promise of Rahul Gandhi,” Chidambaram tweeted.
Arvind Subramanian, who authored the 2016-17 Economic Survey, had mentioned UBI as a “radical option” to reduce poverty and vulnerability. “UBI has three components: universality, unconditionality, and agency (by providing support in the form of cash transfers to respect, not dictate, recipients’ choice),” the Economic Survey had stated. However, the Congress is mulling a minimum income guarantee for the poor, and not UBI.
In his speech in Raipur, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP of trying to create two Indias -- "one of the Rafale scam, Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi and the other of the poor farmers".
"The Congress has decided to take a historic decision... The Congress-led government is going to give minimum income guarantee. This means, each poor person in India will have minimum income. This means there will be no hungry, poor people in India," Gandhi said.
The Congress president also distributed loan waiver certificates to some of the beneficiary farmers during the 'Kisaan Abhaar Sammelan' held in the Chhattisgarh capital to express gratitude to Chhattisgarh's people, particularly farmers, for voting the Congress to power in the state after a gap of 15 years.
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