Programme has been on ice for the past two years, says Manish Doshi
Ahmedabad: The Congress party has called out the government yet again for failing to ensure the proper implementation of the NaMo tablet scheme, which has fizzled after working well for just two years.
Under the scheme, which was launched in 2017, first-year college students were meant to receive tablet computers at a cost of Rs1,000 each. Students who paid the registration amount received the tablets over the next two years.
Since then, however, the scheme has been non-operational due to two main reasons. First, the Gujarat government stopped purchasing the tablets from China due to diplomatic issues.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic impeded distribution last year. Accusing the ruling BJP government of only being able to “make announcements but not implement programmes”, Congress chief spokesperson Manish Doshi said, “By taking Rs1,000 per student, the government has collected millions from students in 2019-20 but has not provided them with the tablet computers.
The students should get money back.” Noting that approximately 3 lakh students across the state have not yet received the tablet, Doshi added, “This is merely a scam and a sign of the rampant corruption in the government.
Last year, i.e. in 2020- 21, no registration was done for the tablet, while in 2019-20, the government has collected the money but not given the device.”
The government on the floor of the house admitted that 3,09,651 students had registered to get the NaMo tablet in 2019-20, but only 1.5 lakh students have received them.
Ahmedabad: The Congress party has called out the government yet again for failing to ensure the proper implementation of the NaMo tablet scheme, which has fizzled after working well for just two years.
Under the scheme, which was launched in 2017, first-year college students were meant to receive tablet computers at a cost of Rs1,000 each. Students who paid the registration amount received the tablets over the next two years.
Since then, however, the scheme has been non-operational due to two main reasons. First, the Gujarat government stopped purchasing the tablets from China due to diplomatic issues.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic impeded distribution last year. Accusing the ruling BJP government of only being able to “make announcements but not implement programmes”, Congress chief spokesperson Manish Doshi said, “By taking Rs1,000 per student, the government has collected millions from students in 2019-20 but has not provided them with the tablet computers.
The students should get money back.” Noting that approximately 3 lakh students across the state have not yet received the tablet, Doshi added, “This is merely a scam and a sign of the rampant corruption in the government.
Last year, i.e. in 2020- 21, no registration was done for the tablet, while in 2019-20, the government has collected the money but not given the device.”
The government on the floor of the house admitted that 3,09,651 students had registered to get the NaMo tablet in 2019-20, but only 1.5 lakh students have received them.
