How did it come in the discussion
In the last few elections, most of the opposition parties have promised to give allowance every month to the women and youth if the government is formed from the common people in the elections. After winning, it was also implemented in some states. Now such schemes have started coming up in BJP ruled states. The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh launched the Ladli Behan scheme. Under this, women will be given Rs 1000 every month. Shivraj Singh Chouhan is claiming another victory in the assembly elections to be held at the end of the year on the basis of this plan. Himanta Biswa Sarma’s government in Assam had also brought such a scheme before the elections. It got political benefit and BJP came to power again.
Success in Himachal-Karnataka
In the assembly elections held in Himachal Pradesh, Congress had promised to give Rs 1500 per month to women. This promise was considered an important contribution in the victory of the party. Now the party is implementing this scheme there. Recently, before the Karnataka assembly elections, a promise of Rs 2000 per month was made to the female head of every family. Congress got success there also. The party has approved its implementation in the first cabinet. In Chhattisgarh, a plan is going on to pay salaries to the youth and women every month. There are signs of increasing trend of such schemes in the elections to be held in the coming days. So can its bigger form also come to the fore? This is also being discussed now.
What is Universal Basic Plan
Universal Basic Income is such a scheme, in which the government gives a fixed amount every month to some population. In 2017, during the first term of the Modi government, the intention to implement this scheme was first seen in the Economic Survey presented just before the budget. It was said in the survey that this scheme can be started by giving Rs 7620 annually to two-thirds of the country’s population. It was said that by this every person of the country will come out of poverty. However, seeing the expenditure, the government pulled back.
Just before the 2019 general elections, when such discussions were going on that the government could announce Universal Basic Income, the Modi government announced the Kisan Samman Nidhi in the budget. Under this, there is a provision to give 6000 rupees every year in the account of all the farmers. 75 thousand crore was spent annually on this scheme. It was considered a limited form of Universal Basic Income. In the same election, the Congress also talked about implementing Universal Basic Income in its manifesto, which the party named ‘Nyay’.
raised many questions
Universal Basic Income has been questioned many times. Argument came that the scheme can be fine only when balance is made in it. Otherwise, it can also become the cause of economic devastation. Experts say that if the scheme like giving salary every month has to be implemented, then the government will have to stop all the subsidy schemes or reduce them a lot. Currently, the government is spending 4 to 5 percent of the total GDP on subsidies. Universal Basic Income Scheme and subsidy cannot go hand in hand. Along with this, it was also believed that after the introduction of such schemes, the tax burden may increase to meet the expenditure. The middle class may have to bear the brunt of this. Amidst all these questions, it is clear that many more forms of it can be seen in the coming days.