The Kerala State Information Technology Mission (IT Mission) will distribute free tablets to all Akshaya entrepreneurs to mark the 15th anniversary of the flagship scheme that streamlined IT-enabled services across the State and made it accessible for the urban and rural communities. Nearly 2,800 entrepreneurs in Kerala will get the gift as a token of appreciation for their service.
IT mission officials say it is for the first time that such a gift is being given to the entrepreneurs since the launch of the flagship project on November 18, 2002.
The department is spending ₹2.80 crore for the initiative, which is also expected to support the child Aadhaar enrolment programmes.
Along with the tabs, the entrepreneurs will get biometric devices as part of the government’s efforts to increase the number of Akshaya centres that can quickly facilitate the Aadhaar enrolment requests.
The expenses of the biometric device will be borne by the entrepreneur concerned and the district-level authorities will coordinate its distribution.
Special financial support will be extended to four Akshaya centres in Kerala, which are functioning under the control of entrepreneurs from the Scheduled Tribe.
A sum of ₹1.25 lakh will be given to these four entrepreneurs, who mainly operate among the tribespeople, to set up full-fledged Aadhaar enrolment centres.
“Child Aadhaar enrolment will be the next priority area for Akshaya and at least one hospital in a district will be selected in the first phase to enrol newborns,” State Mission coordinator K. Santhosh Kumar told The Hindu .
An Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AEPS) too is on the cards for the Akshaya centres as part of the new initiatives to streamline its IT-related services.
The device to carry out cashless transactions will be supplied at a subsidised rate to all Akshaya centres.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will launch all the new initiatives planned to mark the anniversary celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram on November 23.
