Explained: What The Rajasthan Minimum Income Bill Guarantees

The Rajasthan government has passed the Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill, 2023, which promises 125 days of work a year for all families in the state. The bill also guarantees a minimum pension of ₹ 1,000 per month to the elderly, the specially abled, widows and single women, which will increase by 15% every year.

Umbrella legislation

The Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill, 2023, was passed in the state Assembly by voice vote on Friday. The bill brings the rural employment guarantee scheme, the urban employment guarantee scheme and the pension scheme under one umbrella legislation. These will be implemented under the Mahatma Gandhi Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme.

The bill guarantees to provide work for at least 25 days under the Mukhyamantri Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Yojana in addition to the 100 days of employment given under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). 

Rajasthan Parliament Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal said the bill guarantees 125 days of employment to urban families under the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Besides the guaranteed work, the bill seeks to provide a pension of Rs 1,000 per month to the elderly, widows, single women, and specially abled people of Rajasthan. As per the legislation, the pension will be increased by 15% annually. A 5% increase will be made in the month of July followed by a 10% increase in January. The base amount for the increase is Rs 1,000.

Significance 

Speaking about the significance of the bill, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stressed that social security is the right of every person in Rajasthan and the country. “We are not doing anyone any favours,” he added.

The Minimum Income Guarantee Bill, 2023, is part of Mr Gehlot's attempts to cast a wide social security net and build on the electoral success of the Congress in Karnataka.