Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has voiced his support for former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a caste census. Gehlot emphasized the importance of such a census for the effective implementation of social security schemes in India. He pointed out that in many developed and developing countries, needy families receive fixed financial assistance through social security programs. Despite India being the fifth-largest economy in the world, Gehlot highlighted the lack of a permanent social security scheme in the country.
Gehlot reiterated Rahul Gandhi’s call for conducting social, economic, and caste-based censuses to ensure that welfare programs reach the right sections of society.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister emphasized the need for the central government to collect accurate data and collaborate with states to create a formula that would help provide assistance to needy families. He stated that if a nationwide social security scheme were implemented, even the wealthy sections of society would stop feeling that the government is wasting tax money on the poor.
Gehlot referred to Article 39 of the Constitution, which outlines the Directive Principles of State Policy. This article states that all citizens, regardless of gender, have the right to adequate means of livelihood, and that the distribution of material resources should benefit everyone.
Gehlot further highlighted that every citizen in the country pays taxes, either directly (income tax) or indirectly. The government’s responsibility is to distribute the tax revenue to meet the needs of various sections of society. He also pointed out that with the introduction of the Food Security Scheme during the UPA government, deaths due to hunger have significantly reduced. Additionally, free insurance schemes like Chiranjeevi Yojana and free treatment services have contributed to a decline in deaths caused by lack of healthcare. Gehlot’s comments underline the importance of improving social security systems to support all sections of society.
