Punjab govt defends smartphones for youth scheme

The Punjab government today said it might not have to utilise Rs 10 crore earmarked for providing smartphones to youth and suggested that mobile companies may be willing to distribute handsets "free of cost" with an aim to tap "burgeoning" market in the state.

"We have allocation of Rs 10 crore for it, but I was led to believe that we may not have to use it as smartphones could actually come in a very smart way," Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal said while talking to reporters here after presenting Congress government's maiden budget.

The finance minister was asked if he believes that a sum of Rs 10 crore earmarked for smartphones in the budget was sufficient.
 

"Smartphones are actually a device for learning and if some company is willing to fund this (smartphones) free of cost, I do not think Punjab should refuse it," he further said when asked whether it was justified to distribute smartphones when the state was in "deep economic crisis".

When asked why company would give free smartphones, he said all the companies want footprint in Punjab market and "there is an intense competition among telecom companies to get foothold in the market. For them, free phones mean access to customers".

In the budget presentation, Manpreet said, "In order to encourage and incentivise youth to use digital technology in day to day life, the government will give free smart mobile phones to the youth. This will enable the youth, among other things, to be a beneficiary and a partner in efforts to digitise Punjab through the Digital Punjab Initiative."

Later, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal took a dig at Manpreet for making "meagre" provision for smartphones in the budget.

"The government has made provision of Rs 10 crore for smartphones," he said. "With this amount of funds, the government can buy one smartphone per village in the state," said Sukhbir while taking a jibe at the announcement.

Before coming to power, the Congress had made a poll promise of giving 50 lakh 4G-enabled smartphones to the youth, plus one-year of free data and calling.

Notably, in the budget session last week, an AAP MLA had said the government would be needing at least Rs 2,000 crore for giving 50 lakh smartphones if say one hanset costs Rs 4,000.