By PTI Aug 19, 2022, 01:11 PM IST (Published)
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Officials say that the project will cost about Rs 12,000 crore including the cost of mobile phones, three years of internet, and other services.
Women heads of 13.5 million families in Rajasthan would get free smartphones with internet connectivity for three years under the Chief Minister Digital Seva Yojana. Officials said on Friday that three major telecom companies had shown interest in participating in the scheme.
A senior official said a committee would decide on the bidders this month. The government wants to complete this process soon so the scheme can be implemented before the assembly elections in December next year.
The total cost of the project is Rs 12,000 crore, including the cost of mobile phones, three years of internet, and other services. Under the scheme, women heads of 13.5 million families who are enrolled in the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme would get smartphones with internet connectivity for three years.
“Technical bids were opened on Wednesday. Vodafone, a private company that offered the tender, did not appear,” project in-charge Chhatrapal Singh told PTI.
Officials are hopeful that the first batch of smartphones may be received by the government before the festive season starts. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had announced Mukhyamantri Digital Seva Yojana in this year’s budget.
Rajcomp, a state-owned company, is responsible for project implementation. An official said that the given mobile would support a dual-SIM feature and one SIM will already come activated in its primary slot, which cannot be changed.