Raghuram Rajan consulted while drafting minimum income guarantee scheme: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan was among the top economists consulted to draft the party’s proposed minimum guaranteed income scheme -- 'Nyunatam Aay Yojana' (Nyay).

On Monday, Gandhi had announced in New Delhi that Rs 72,000 per year will be given as minimum income to poor families, benefiting around 25 crore people, if his party is voted to power in Lok Sabha polls, and asserted it will be the “final assault” on poverty.

Gandhi had said 20 per cent or five crore families belonging to the poorest category with monthly income less than Rs 12,000 would come under the scheme.

On Tuesday, addressing a meeting of his party workers in Jaipur, Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to transfer Rs 15 lakh to every bank account.

"We thought it was a good idea...Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts. But the promise was not fulfilled by Modi. We started our work six months back to make such a thing reality," he said.

He went on to say that his party consulted "all big economists, without telling anyone, without giving any speeches".

"We were engaged in this work for six months. Take the list of all big economists of the world, we consulted them...Raghuram Rajan...One by one," he said.

"First thing, we we came to know was that there should be a minimum income line. We calculated and the result was that the minimum income line should be 12,000 per month," he said.

Gandhi said his party will fulfil the promise.

According to Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, the party has already worked out the finances for the 'Nyunatam Aay Yojana' (Nyay) that will entail a total expenditure of Rs 3.6 lakh crore.