Chandigarh: Punjab government took a major digital leap forward with the statewide launch of its Rs 92 crore ‘Punjab Smart Connect Scheme’ by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who handed over smartphones to six Class XII students in a symbolic gesture.
Simultaneous distribution of phones was done at 26 places by various Ministers, legislators and others.Each Minister personally handed over 20 phones in various districts to mark the launch of the scheme, which also marked the fulfilment of a major poll promise of the Congress government in the state.
Amount for this scheme is Rs 100 crore,which was allocated in the state budget for 2017-18, will benefit 174, 015 Class XII students of government schools in the first phase, to be completed by November.
Of these, 87, 395 are boys and 86, 620 girls, with a majority in the Other Backward Class, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories — thus bridging a major divide that was obstructing these students from affordable access to digital education.The bulk of the students – 111, 857 — are from the rural areas, and the remaining are in urban government schools, a government statement said.
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, who launched the scheme through video conferencing at the Secretariat here, said people believe in the promises listed in the election manifesto and it was, thus, his duty to ensure the implementation of each one of them.
When the Congress listed smartphones as a poll promise, it was to provide global connectivity and empower the poor youth who could not afford them, said Amarinder Singh, adding that in the present pandemic situation these phones had assumed more importance as they had become a necessity for education continuity.
It was the money of the people of Punjab which his government was spending on advancement of the youth, the Chief Minister said, adding the phones were planned to be distributed in March but the process got delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Capt Amarinder said he wanted Punjab’s students to be abreast with the latest technology which they can use effectively for their education, which leverages technology in a big way today.
