 "Tamil Nadu Budget allocates Rs 3,100 cr for freebies")
Tamil Nadu government has budgeted Rs 3,100 crore in 2015-16 for freebies including laptops to students, fans, mixies and grinders for women.
Chief Minister O Panneerselvam in his Budget speech said: “To facilitate and equip our students with the latest computer skills and make them competitive, this Government has been implementing the scheme of distribution of laptop computers free of cost to the students studying in government and government-aided schools and colleges in the state.”
So far, 21.65 lakh students have benefited under this scheme and for this flagship scheme, the government has allocated Rs 1,100 crore in the Budget Estimates for 2015-2016. Besides, a sum of Rs 2,000 crore has been allocated for free distribution of fans/mixies/grinders for next fiscal.
The AIADMK party had promised free laptops for students, fans, mixies, grinders in its election manifesto in 2011.