With its eyes set on younger voters, the Congress on Sunday promised 50 lakh smartphones, with one year of free data and calling, to the youth of Punjab if it forms the government in the State after the Assembly elections.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh announced this in Chandigarh while launching the “Captain Smart Connect” programme.
“The youth who registered themselves with the programme would get smartphones within 100 days of the formation of the Congress government in the State,” he said. “This scheme will cost Rs..300-400 crore a year after the initial investment in the first year. Allocation will be made in the State Budget to fund the scheme, as part of the youth welfare programme of his government.”
He said that those in the 18-35 age group, who made up one-third of Punjab’s population, remained backward. Large-scale unemployment was pushing youths to drugs and other problems. Punjab had the country’s highest unemployment rate in the age group of 15 to 29, he said. The initiative would help build bridges with the youth and provide them the opportunity for growth by empowering them digitally.
He said the scheme was open to residents of Punjab who had passed Class 10 and had an annual household income of less than Rs. 6 lakh.
A Congress Election Committee meeting, headed by Capt. Amarinder, authorised Congress president Sonia Gandhi to decide on ticket allocation.
