On Friday, the Ashok Gehlot-led government in Rajasthan passed the Minimum Income Guarantee Act 2023 in the Legislative Assembly, making Rajasthan the first state in the country to provide its citizens with the right to a minimum income.
The law guarantees 125 days of employment under the employment guarantee schemes in urban and rural areas for eligible individuals, homemakers, and labourers, ensuring economic stability and social security. Under this law, qualified individuals in urban areas will receive 125 days of guaranteed employment through the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme, while those in rural areas will be provided 100 days of employment through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), with an additional 25 days of assured employment by the state government. The law also secures a minimum income for senior citizens, people with special abilities, widows, and single women through pension schemes.
The implementation of this legislation will be monitored by a newly formed advisory board chaired by the Chief Secretary, which will include representatives from the departments of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Social Justice and Empowerment, Local Government, Planning, and Finance. The board will regularly assess and review the provisions of the law.
Additionally, the law ensures a minimum pension of at least 1,000 rupees under the social security pension schemes, and the pension amount will be increased by 15% every financial year starting in 2024-2025.
State Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Shanti Dhariwal, stated that the government has brought this bill to provide a minimum income guarantee to the citizens. The law combines two elements, the first being the employment guarantee and the second being the social security employment guarantee. Previously, these provisions were provided, but now the law ensures mandatory 125 days of employment in both rural and urban areas. The law also introduces provisions for social security, where pension schemes will guarantee minimum income for senior citizens, people with special abilities, widows, and single women, with an annual increase of 15% in the pension amount.
Dhariwal further emphasised that a board of advisors will be formed to regularly monitor and review the rules and regulations, with members from the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Social Justice and Empowerment, Local Government, Planning, and Finance. The board will play a vital role in overseeing the implementation of the law.