Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Monday announced that his government would distribute over 30 lakh smartphones to college students, farmers, workers in tendu leaf plantations and labourers in the State over the next five months.
The Chief Minister’s announcement is being viewed as an attempt by the government to appease certain sections of the State’s population ahead of Assembly polls. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led State government will be battling anti-incumbency after a 15-year-long rule.
At a rally in Sarguja, the Chief Minister said, “The government is going to give away one smartphone to every college student in the State over the next three months. We will provide the smartphones absolutely free of cost. Every student from B.A. and B.Sc to M.Sc streams will get a smartphone.
BJP yatra
The Chief Minister further said, “Tendu leaf plantation workers, farmers, and labourers in Chhattisgarh will also be given free smartphones. In all, over 30 lakh people in the State will get these free smartphones in next the five months. We want to improve mobile connectivity in the State.”
The Chief Minister said the smartphones would be distributed during the party’s Vikas Yatra, which will be taken out in the last week of May. The Assembly elections are likely to be held in October-November this year.
