Free mobile phones for all poor families, UPA promises
NEW DELHI: In what could turn out to be its calling card for the 2014 general polls, the UPA government is finalizing a Rs 7,000 crore scheme to give one mobile phone to every BPL family.
Sources in the PMO said that the scheme, Har Hath Mein Phone, expected to be announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on August 15, will not only aim to give away mobiles to around six million BPL households, it would also provide 200 minutes of free local talktime.
Top government managers involved in formulating the scheme want to sell it as a major empowerment initiative of the UPA-II. While the move will ensure contact with the beneficiaries of welfare programmes worth thousands of crores, there is also a view the scheme will provide an opportunity for the ruling dispensation to open a direct line of communication with a sizable population that plays an active role in elections.
The scheme is likely to be funded from telecom department’s Universal Service Obligation (USO) funds. According to a source, 50% of the cost is likely to come from the bidder who gets the right to provide service and the remaining from the USO fund. According to estimates, the scheme will involve a monthly expenditure of Rs 100 per cellphone.
PMO is involved with the Planning Commission and telecom ministry in giving shape to the scheme.
The government has already launched a national infrastructure initiative under PM‘s advisor Sam Pitroda that aims to link 2,50,000 panchayats in 16 months through internet so basic communication facilities can be provided.
As our census revealed- Nearly half of India’s 1.2 billion people have no toilet at home, but more people own a mobile phone.Only 46.9% of the 246.6 million households have lavatories while 49.8% defecate in the open. The remaining 3.2% use public toilets.About 77% of homes in the eastern state of Jharkhand have no toilet facilities, while the figure is 76.6% for Orissa and 75.8% in Bihar. All three are among India’s poorest states with huge populations which live on less than a dollar a day.
Related articles
- INDIA-Left parties submit charter of demands to Prime Minister (kractivist.wordpress.com)
- Bihar: Private hospitals removing uterus and making money of the insurance scheme (kractivist.wordpress.com)
kracktivist 
Aug 09, 2012 @ 16:06:30
phone is a first step in direction to self-sufficient life for any body,
can u imagine life without phone now?
govt action in direction to solve problem of poor!!
when you are equipped with phone [kamdhenu – Aladdin chi rag] your all wish granted so roti kapda makan and much more is offered but after all one has to do something for self.
telephone before 30 years is luxury and rare thing ,
rich also were striving for telephone and long wait of years and no quality phone services was offered
every development take times this has reach maturity
developed world is having telephone and they grow faster
please do not complain
Aug 09, 2012 @ 16:20:24
hahahahahahaha sorry cant help laughing…. and saying gimme a break…. i can imagine life without phone as TRIBALS are still living like that, and pl phone is aladin ka chirag.. sorry.. these are luxuries for a poor man who is still making ends meet to SURVIVE so pl open your eyes and think f the 80% of india and not 20 , from which you and me belong