Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot distributes smartphones among women under new scheme

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday distributed smartphones among women under a new scheme during an event here.

The devices were handed over to the beneficiaries of the Indira Gandhi smartphone scheme at the Birla auditorium.

Under this scheme, smartphones equipped with internet connectivity will be distributed to women heads of families, officials said.

“Knowledge is power. With this theme, smartphones are being given to women. The scheme will empower women,” Gehlot said.

The chief minister said widows and single women's pension recipients, besides families having girl students, have been selected in the first phase of the scheme.

The beneficiaries will have the liberty to choose their preferred smartphones during the distribution camps, facilitated by a deposit of Rs 6,800 through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) by the state government.

In the initial phase of the scheme, 40 lakh beneficiaries will receive smartphones and SIM cards complete with data connectivity from telecom service providers authorized by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).