Chidambaram hails Rahul's promise for minimum universal basic income to poor

Congress president Rahul Gandhi's announcement of minimum universal basic income to poor will mark a turning point in the lives of the poor people, said former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday.

Addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh on Monday, Congress president Gandhi said: "After winning the Lok Sabha polls this year, we will take a step that no party has ever taken. We will ensure minimum universal basic income to the poor. No government in the world has ever taken such a decision."

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said: "The principle of Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been discussed extensively in the last two years. The time has come to adopt the principle to our situation and our needs and implement the same for the poor."

"We will explain our plan in the Congress manifesto," said Chidambaram, who has been appointed as the chairman of the Congress' Manifesto Committee for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

"The poor of India have the first right on the resources of the country. Congress will find the resources to implement the promise of Rahul Gandhi," he wrote in another tweet.

Praising the efforts of the UPA government for the upliftment of the poor section of the society, Chidambaram wrote: "140 million people were lifted out of poverty between 2004 and 2014. Now we should make a determined effort to wipe out poverty from India.