'Rs 72,000 for 20% poorest': Rahul Gandhi creates confusion with top-up formula; Surjewala clarifies day later

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday announced that Rs 72,000 per year would be deposited in the accounts of poor families under the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) scheme if they came to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He explained the methodology behind the scheme saying the government would give a 'top-up' to the families. If a family earned Rs 6,000 per month, the government would give Rs 6,000 to help the family reach the minimum income mark of Rs 12,000. If the family earned Rs 7,000, the government would top-up Rs 5,000 to make it Rs 12,000.

A day later, the Congress has today clarified that's not the case.  Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala sought to clear the confusion that emerged from the party president's announcement. Surjewala said that it was not a top-up scheme and that all 20% families would get Rs 72,000 a year. "There was some confusion yesterday. This is not a top-up scheme. All 20 per cent families will get Rs 72,000 a year. I repeat, this is not a top-up scheme," Surjewala said at a press conference at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi.

Surjewala also added that the minimum guarantee scheme is women-centric and that the money will be directly credited to the bank accounts of the women of the households. "The Congress party will get this amount credited to the bank accounts of the women of beneficiary families," he said.

CP @RahulGandhi ji announced #NYAY- for 5 Crore poorest families of India

It is NOT a 'Top Up Scheme', but EVERY poor family shall be rightfully entitled to 72,000 per annum.

72000 would be deposited directly in the bank accounts of the woman of the family pic.twitter.com/oizoYNK76z

- Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) March 26, 2019

"This scheme will be implemented without any discrimination between the urban and rural areas. It will be implemented across the country uniformly," Surjewala said.

Also, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram Tweeted on Monday saying that the poorest 20 per cent of families would get a "uniform amount" of Rs 72,000 a year.

Under NYAY, the poorest 20 per cent of families will get a uniform amount of Rs 72,000 a year.

- P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 25, 2019

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley described the poll promise as a "bluff announcement", saying no other political party has betrayed India for more than seven decades in the name of poverty. He said the Congress has given to the people many slogans but very little resources to implement its election promises.

Hitting back at Jaitley, Surjewala said it was shameful that he was opposing the scheme while waiving loans for the rich.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi's Rs 72,000 per annum promise to the poor is doable; here's how

Also read: Traders association slams Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his 'unrealistic' Rs 72,000 per annum promise