Shillong, Mar 26: The Congress on Tuesday promised to implement the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) or the Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme which aimed at providing Rs 72,000 a year to 20 percent of the country’s poorest families if it is voted back to power.

Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, Congress spokesman and MLA from Mawsynram Himalaya Shangpliang said this is a historic declaration made by the Congress national president Rahul Gandhi.

“Through this declaration, the party is reiterating its commitment to eradicate poverty in this country and the NYAY will be the final assault on poverty,” he said.

Stating that the scheme is considered as the world’s largest poverty eradication measure in which no other country has ever done it, Shangpliang said 20 percent of the country’s poorest families will be guaranteed with Rs 72,000 a year and it will be deposited directly in the bank accounts of the women.

According to him, 25 crore people from 5 crore families will be benefited by this historic step.

Claiming that the MNREGA implemented by the then UPA government had lifted 14 crore people out of poverty, he said now the NYAY intends to uplift and help 25 crore people out of poverty.

“Therefore when the Congress comes back to power in May 23, this scheme will be taken up and all the people in the country including the state of Meghalaya will be benefited,” Shangpliang added.

According to the party, the NYAY has been conceived by a team of leading economists adding the contours and details of the scheme shall be announced in the next few days.

The fiscal repercussions of this have been analyzed and that this money is perfectly available within the size of the Indian economy. This is scheme is perfectly doable, the Congress stated.