jaipur: The Rajasthan Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill to provide minimum guaranteed income to all adult citizens as part of a welfare package for the state.
As per the Bill, some beneficiaries will receive guaranteed employment at minimum wage for at least 125 days per financial year. Other beneficiaries such as senior citizens, specially-abled persons, widows and single women shall be entitled to a pension under the Bill. The pension payable shall be increased at the rate of 15 per cent per annum from FY 2024-25. Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to bring such a Bill from the social security point of view.
It is to be mentioned that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, in the 2023-24 budget, announced to implement the Mahatma Gandhi Minimum Guaranteed Income Scheme in the coming year with a view to provide the right of social security to the needy people and families by making a law covering urban and rural employment guarantee along with all pension schemes sponsored by the state government.
With the implementation of this law, in rural areas, the families, on completing 100 days in MGNREGS, will now get 25 days of additional employment in the Mukhyamantri Grameen Rojgar Guarantee Yojana (Chief Minister Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme). In urban areas, employment of 125 days per family will be given in the Indira Gandhi Shehari Rojgar Guarantee Yojana (Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme).
It is to be mentioned that the Central government is giving a social security pension of Rs 200 to Rs 300 per month only, whereas all the beneficiaries of social security pension will be given a minimum pension of Rs 1,000 per month by the state government.
There used to be no increase in the social security pension for the last many years, but Gehlot in 2019 after 6 years increased the pension amount. With this law, the base rate of the social security pension of Rs 1,000 will automatically increase by 15 per cent every year. This increase will be 5 per cent in July and 10 per cent in January.