According to MyNation’s report, Modi government is planning one of the biggest welfare schemes of the country since independence. The government under this scheme mulls to transfer 2,000-2,500 rupees per month to every citizen living below poverty line (BPL). The amount will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. The scheme would cost around 30,000-40,000 rupees to the exchequer and will benefit almost 270 million (27 crore) people living below poverty line (BPL) as per the 2011 census. Earlier, the government announced 10 percent quota for upper caste in all government institutions and jobs. Also, the 10 percent quota for upper caste is likely to be applicable in private colleges and universities.
Supreme Court of India allowed Aadhar to be used for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), the government can also use Aadhaar identity for many more schemes. As of now, the government uses DBT for 465 schemes which range from LPG subsidy to college scholarships. “The Supreme Court judgment is a great step forward for use of technology in governance. Aadhaar is already being used in several areas, several state governments have used it. I am sure it will continue to be of great benefit to the society,” Jaitley said after apex court’s verdict on Aadhar.
The government has adopted measures to minimize the leakage and has been able to save almost 90,000 crores by using DBT. In 2016-17 alone, the government saved at least 32, 984 crore by plugging the leakage. Through DBT transfer of the MGNREGA benefits, the process became more transparent and the concept of middle-man also became the thing of past. DBT has been proved to be one of the most efficient way to push social welfare and therefore the Modi government is successfully using it to uplift the condition of people living below the poverty line.
The Modi government is planning to provide social security benefits to 50 crore workers in the country. The scheme for which a comprehensive plan has been prepared by the Labor Ministry aims to initially provide three programs – old age pension, life insurance, and maternity benefits while leaving out unemployment, child support, and other benefits – to most working citizens, government officials said. The drafted bill plans to extend social security benefits to all workers including those in informal employment by merging and simplifying 15 federal labor laws into one.
The social security schemes of the government for women, below poverty line (BPL) families, divyangs and others are to help the incumbent government in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The Congress governments in last six decades have only been able to bring a very small portion of the nation’s population under social security despite its cry for social justice and the welfare state. On the other hand, the Modi government has been able to expand the social security exponentially, following the ‘Antyodaya’ slogan given by Jan Sangh ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay. The Modi government has various put efforts to widen the tax base through steps like demonetization, GST, Benami Property Act, crackdown on shell companies etc. The increased tax collection has given the government the fiscal space to widen the social security net.
