The Congress will try for at least 100 million new jobs and roll out its pet scheme NYAY in a phased manner if it comes to power after the summer elections, party’s senior strategist Sam Pitroda said on Thursday.
Pitdora, a key member of the panel that oversees the ongoing 2019 campaign, stressed that a phase-wise rollout of NYAY, the mega poverty-eradication plan that will give Rs 3,60,000 to India’s poorest households, will ensure coverage of all beneficiaries without any stress on the exchequer.
“In the first year, all targeted beneficiaries may not be added in the scheme. But by the second year, all beneficiaries would be identified and they would receive the money as intended under the scheme,” said Pitroda.
Senior Congress leaders meet on a daily basis to take a stock of the campaign and fix issues. Party leaders emphasized the scheme has caught people’s attention as the campaign is centered around the concept of NYAY even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP has turned its campaign to nationalism and government’s valour, in a bid to corner the opponents on emotive issues.
The Congress’ Minimum Income Support Programme or Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) has been the cornerstone of its entire poll campaign as it wants to highlight the loss of jobs and rural distress due to the government’s faulty economic policies. The schemes will target 5 crore families who constitute the poorest 20 per cent of all families. “Each family will be guaranteed a cash transfer of Rs. 72,000 a year. The Congress also said that as far as possible, the money will be transferred to the account of a woman of the family.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress’ Minimum Income Support Programme or Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) has been the cornerstone of its entire poll campaign as it wants to highlight the loss of jobs and rural distress due to the government’s faulty economic policies. The schemes will target 5 crore families who constitute the poorest 20 per cent of all families. “Each family will be guaranteed a cash transfer of Rs. 72,000 a year. The Congress also said that as far as possible, the money will be transferred to the account of a woman of the family.
{{/usCountry}}Pitroda, widely seen as the closest associate of the Gandhi family, maintained that the Congress has the political will to provide this money without imposing higher taxes. “This is a social responsibility but will give impetus to rural economy and will create jobs. Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has looked into this scheme,” he said.
The close friend of late Rajiv Gandhi maintained that the party’s promise to the 2.2 million government jobs in the first year is only “the tip of the iceberg.”
Pitroda also said that the Congress the Congress leaders have discussed among themselves to focus on “jobs at district-levels” if it comes to power: “Our planning would be based on how many doctors, nurses, teachers or engineers we need for a particular district and how to generate jobs in each district.”