India News | Rajasthan to Start Smartphone Distribution Under Chiranjeevi Scheme from October

Jaipur, Sep 22 (PTI) Rajasthan will start distributing smartphones to women heads of 1.35 crore families covered under 'Cheeranjivi Yojna' in a phased manner from October, Cabinet Minister BD Kalla said on Thursday.

Kalla was replying on behalf of the minister of information and technology to a supplementary question asked during Question Hour in the Rajasthan Assembly.

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He said the Assembly had approved the supplementary demand of Rs 2,300 crore on Tuesday to provide smartphones under the scheme. Earlier, a provision of Rs 1,200 crore was made for the scheme, he added.

The minister said the government had developed Jan Soochna, E-Mitra, E-Dharti and Raj Sampark apps, which would be installed in these smartphones. Other apps are also being developed, he said.

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Cheeranjivi Yojna is a universal health scheme in which the Rajasthan government also provides insurance up to Rs 10 lakh per family.

Kalla said the state government would bear all expenses of these smartphones for three years.

Earlier, in a written reply to the original question raised by Rajendra Rathore, Kalla said women heads of 1.35 crore Chiranjeevi families would be given smartphones with three years of Internet connectivity. He said the tender for the project, estimated to cost Rs 12,000 crore over three years, had been floated.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the 'Mukhyamantri Digital Seva Yojna' during this year's Budget. Under this scheme, women heads of 1.35 crore families, who have registered under Cheeranjivi Yojna, will be given the smartphones.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)