Rajasthan’s Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill

News

• The Rajasthan state assembly has passed the Rajasthan’s Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill.

What is the Bill?

• It is a state legislation aimed at guaranteeing wages or pensions to the adult population of Rajasthan.

Highlights of the Bill

1. Three Categories of Guaranteed Income:
   • Right to minimum guaranteed income
   • Right to guaranteed employment
   • Right to guaranteed social security pension
2. Guaranteed Employment Provision:
   • All state families are entitled to guaranteed employment for 125 days per year.
   • In urban areas, it is implemented through the “Indira Gandhi Shahri Rozgar Guarantee Yojana.”
   • In rural areas, it is implemented through the “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act” (MGNREGA).
   • The MGNREGA initially provides guaranteed employment for 100 days, but the Rajasthan government has increased this to 125 days by supplementing an additional 25 days.
3. Program Officer Implementation:
   • In rural areas, the implementation is overseen by a Program Officer not below the rank of Block Development Officer.
   • In urban areas, the Executive Officer of the local body is responsible for implementation.
   • The employment provided should be within 5 km of the job card registration.
   • If employment is not provided within 15 days of registration, the individual is entitled to receive unemployment allowance on a weekly basis.
4. Minimum Pension Provision:
   • A minimum pension of Rs 1,000 per month is provided to the aged, disabled, widows, and single women. copyright©iasexpress.net
   • The pension amount is subject to an annual increase of 15%.

Significance of the Bill

• The implementation of the Rajasthan’s Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill will result in additional government expenditure amounting to Rs 2,500 crore per year.