Will pay Rs 4,500 maintenance to wife, daughter with Congress' NYAY scheme: TV actor tells court

With Congress chief Rahul Gandhi making his biggest pre-poll promise of minimum income guarantee, a television actor has told a local family court that he will pay maintenance to his estranged wife and daughter with the money he gets from the Congress' proposed minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY).

On March 12, the family court had ordered Anand Sharma (38) to pay an interim monthly maintenance amount of Rs 4,500 to his wife and their 12-year-old daughter, who have been living separately for some time now. A dispute between the couple is pending in court.

His petition, presented in the family court, contended that he performs small roles in TV serials and earns Rs 5,000-Rs 6,000 per month. It said that he also has to look after his parents.

Sharma, who described himself as a struggling TV actor, asked the court to put off the March 12 order till the formation of the Congress government (post Lok Sabha polls) because his financial condition is not such that he could make regular payments to his wife.

He gave an undertaking that after the formation of a Congress government, an amount of Rs 4,500, out of the Rs 6,000 given to him under NYAY, could directly be transferred to his wife's account.

His lawyer, Mohan Patidar, Saturday told PTI that the family court has fixed April 29 for the argument on his application.

Rahul Gandhi last week said that Congress’ minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay) assures up to Rs 72,000 a year or Rs 6,000 a month income to 20 per cent of India's poorest families if the party is voted back to power in the Lok Sabha elections next month.