NYAY is implementable, says P Chidambaram

Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said the proposed NYAY scheme which guarantees minimum income is 'implementable' and the Congress party if voted to power will have an expert group to ensure its proper execution.

He also slammed the NDA government for allegedly terming the scheme as an unfeasible proposition, and said that if the present government thinks that NYAY is not implementable, then it should step down.

"If someone says they cannot implement NYAY, then they should vacate the chair. NYAY is implementable and we will have an expert group to implement it," said Chidambaram, while speaking at an event in the national capital.

He said that the Congress party will "first design the NYAY scheme and then pilot it for testing and subsequently roll out it in a phased manner." We cannot have a situation where the bottom 20 per cent population is living in abject poverty," he said.

Talking about the benefits of the scheme, the veteran politician said that NYAY will help "remonetise" and stimulate production.

"When the poor consume more, then it will stimulate production. More production means more jobs. NYAY will give mobility to the poor. Schemes similar to NYAY will ensure that the people come out of poverty," he said.

Chidambaram also clarified on the GST 2.0 which is enlisted in the Congress manifesto is GST in a real sense of the term while the GST implemented by present dispensation is not a GST at all.

"What the NDA implemented is not GST. Even Arvind Subramaniam said it is not GST. We will implement true GST. That is why it is called GST 2.0. It is better to implement a fresh GST," he said.

"There will be a single standard rate with input credit at every level while exports will be zero-rated. Moreover, compliance will be made simple and e-way bill will be abolished," he said.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign, Chidambaram said: "As the election approaches, drum beats go louder and louder. Modi goes from place to place but utters no word about jobs, farmers' problems. He only talks about Pakistan.