Rajasthan is the first state in India where a bill seeking to cover the entire adult population of the state with guaranteed wages or pension is being introduced. The bill titled Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill, 2023, was tabled in the state assembly on July 19.
Under the Bill, all families of the state get guaranteed employment of 125 days every year. The aged, disabled, widows, and single women are expected to get a minimum pension of Rs 1,000 per month. Also, the pension will be increased at the rate of 15 per cent each year.
The Bill covers both urban and rural populations. In rural areas, once a person completes 100 days of work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the person would be entitled for 25 additional days. Meanwhile, in urban areas it guarantees work for 125 days in a year.
The Bill mentions that post the work in urban or rural employment schemes, the minimum wages should be paid “weekly or in any case not later than a fortnight.”
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Earlier this year, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in his budget speech announced this Bill as part of a number of schemes and measures that are being undertaken by his government to provide relief to citizens from inflation. Rajasthan is slated to go to assembly polls later this year along with Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
Three broad categories under the Bill
The Bill largely covers the three broad categories — Right to Minimum Guaranteed Income, Right to Guaranteed Employment, and Right to Guaranteed Social Security Pension. The Rajasthan government anticipates an additional expenditure of Rs 2,500 crore per year for this scheme, as mentioned in the Bill.
The Bill also states that it will provide legal support to the various pensions and unemployment alliances given as part of the scheme.
The draft Bill reads that if the designated programme officer “fails to provide employment within fifteen days from the receipt of the application in the prescribed manner, the applicant shall be entitled to receive unemployment allowance on a weekly basis…”
The bill goes on to note that the Government of Rajasthan is providing a comprehensive package of essential services to promote the welfare of the residents of the state, such as free and subsidised electricity, universal health coverage, subsidised agriculture inputs, quality education, subsidised gas cylinders, and free food packets etc. for the purpose of reducing overall household expenditure.
In addition to the above, the state government intends to bring forth “The Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill, 2023” wherein entitlement-based social security is stipulated to support the individuals and/or households of the State with an additional income.
Shashikant Sharma, OSD to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot congratulated CM Gehlot for bringing this Bill in a tweet. “I thank Hon’ble CM for his path-breaking bill that guarantees minimum income to every citizen in Rajasthan. A minimum income guarantee bill is a social safety net that ensures that every citizen of Rajasthan receives a guaranteed work / basic income to meet their needs.”
Manish Godha, political analyst, was quoted as saying that the Bill was another populist and public centric initiative of Ashok Gehlot ahead of the polls in Rajasthan. “What is more important is that it will guarantee the minimum income to the eligible individuals as most of the social guarantees were running with administrative orders but now with this Act, the schemes will get a legal framework,” he was quoted.
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MGNREGA vs Rajasthan Minimum Income Bill
The MGNREGA aims at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas. The MGNREGA is a demand driven scheme that guarantees 100 days of unskilled work per year for every rural household that wants it, covering all districts in the country.
Under this scheme, if work is not provided to people within 15 days from when it is demanded the worker has to be given a daily unemployment allowance. Furthermore the wages of unskilled workers also have to be paid within 15 days and in case of any delay, the government has to compensate them.
The major difference between MGNREGA and Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill, 2023 is that the former provides guaranteed work to only rural people but latter covers rural and urban populations both.
