Cash transfer will win Cong both 2014, 2019: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi told a gathering of Congress office-bearers on Friday that the direct cash transfer scheme was a "revolutionary step" which if implemented properly would win the party not just the 2014 election but also the next one in 2019.

Every 10 years, the Congress comes up with a scheme that shakes up the nation, and the party is now giving a revolutionary delivery system to people in the 21st century, Rahul told district Congress committee presidents and Lok Sabha Youth Congress presidents of the 51 districts where the scheme is to be rolled out from January 1.

He recalled the late Rajiv Gandhi's remark that only 15 paise out of a rupee reached intended beneficiaries, and added that direct cash transfer would result in the delivery of at least 99 paise, according to sources present at the meeting.

Later in the day, the Congress sought to officially delink the scheme from political considerations.

At a press conference at the party headquarters, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh quoted Rahul as saying , "Aapka paisa, aapke haath' is definitely a political slogan". Congress general secretary and chairman of its media department Janardan Dwivedi was, however, quick to correct him saying, "Others may call it a political slogan, but from our side, it is a welfare and anti-corruption scheme."

Speaking at the Idea Exchange programme at The Indian Express on Thursday, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha had expressed his party's support for the scheme, but regretted what he said were the Congress's attempts to "politicise" it.

Sinha has been entrusted by his party to prepare a policy paper on the cash transfer scheme. The scheme was a part of the BJP's election manifesto in 2009. It was not in the Congress's manifesto, contrary to Jairam's assertion earlier that his party was fulfilling a promise it made in its manifesto in 2009.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Karnataka Assembly polls: Voting underway with Shettar, Siddaramiah, Yeddyurappa in fray

Bansal won't quit, Congress decides to weather new storm

Jharkhand debates encounter: Ordinary teen or an extortionist

PM: Govt initiating more measures to attract investments