"We have taken one more major step towards becoming a true public welfare state," Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel declared on Thursday.
He was addressing events at the Science College Ground here after Congress leader and MP Raul Gandhi laid the foundations for an ‘Amar Jyoti’ and a Sewagram.
He said a year ago during the launch of the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Scheme’, Rahul Gandhi had raised concern over landless agriculture labourers.
After a year, he has now launched and released the first installment of around Rs 2,000 (from a total of Rs 6,000 per family annually).
The amount was transferred to the bank accounts of 3.5 lakh beneficiaries under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Bhumiheen Krishi Majdoor Nyay Yojana.
Baghel said it was one of the unique schemes in the country.
It is a coincidence that on the same day 16 years ago the UPA government had launched the MGNREGA across the country, one of the world’s biggest schemes for the poor.
Now after 16 years, Rahul Gandhi has launched another scheme for the poor that is for landless agriculture labourers, the Chief Minister said.
He said: “The leader has been pinpointing that people should feel that ‘it is their government’. The poor people should get money and their purchasing power should increase.
"The government of Chhattisgarh had launched several schemes focusing on the poor. The situation can be gauged that even during two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the state could withstand the onslaught of economic slowdown.”
Highlighting the schemes and decisions taken, Baghel said in the last three years people have received Rs 91,000 crore through various schemes, especially the farmers. It resulted in record agriculture production and procurement.