Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that the United Democratic Front (UDF) that his party leads in Kerala, if elected to power, will roll out the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay) scheme on a pilot basis. He said this while speaking at an election meeting in Kottayam, the country’s natural rubber capital.

“If a family gets ₹6,000 per month and ₹72,000 per annum as enunciated under Nyay and the money flows into the market, it will not only revive the economy but also increase production and create jobs. This is not an act of favour or charity but is the only way to revive the economy,” Gandhi said, addressing the meeting.

Testing the idea in Kerala

“We would like to test this new idea in Kerala, and I am confident about its success. If so, it will be taken to the rest of the country. Kerala will show how poverty must be fought out once and for all. We hope to build on inherent strength, dynamism, and intelligence of the people of Kerala,” he said, while pointing out how the MGNREGS has proved a success and revived the rural economy.

Acknowledging the crisis in the natural rubber sector, Gandhi promised to raise the minimum price to ₹250 a kg. “We will make sure that rubber farmers get their right due. Ensuring ₹250 is also an important step to revive the economy because it is one of the most important crops in this area,” he said.

Demonetisation and GST

He also unleashed an attack on the economic policies of the BJP at the Centre and explained how Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken money out of the people’s pocket through demonetisation and GST. “Modi is merely a pawn in the hands of a few who want to drain India of its wealth,” Gandhi said.

He also criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for turning a blind eye towards the protests staged by PSC rank holders in front of the State Secretariat. “For the CM, they are enemies. It is like the Prime Minister dubbing protesting farmers as terrorists. Both the PM and the CM have the same mindset,” he added.

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