Govt plans free mobile phones to 6.5 cr BPL families

A populist plan to provide free mobile phones to people below poverty line (BPL) may be on the anvil. The scheme may be announced in the Prime Minister's Independence Day address next week.

Asked about reports about the populist scheme, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said, "We are exploring that possibility. We are working on an idea. The basic idea is that in rural areas, we need to incentivise access to mobile telephony".

He said a small group in the commission has been working on the idea with the Department of Telecommunications to assess how beneficial the plan would be.

Ahluwalia said while "we don't actually have a scheme which is approved, it is an idea which is being discussed". If implemented, this will be UPA-II government's biggest populist announcement on the lines of Rs 60,000 crore loan waiver scheme for farmers during the tenure of UPA-I.

There are 6.52 crore BPL families which may be entitled to free mobile phones along with monthly connectivity of about 200 minutes. This may cost the government around Rs 7,000-8000 crore per annum.

The idea to provide free mobile phones has drawn mixed reactions from many quarters.

While talking to TSI, Sandhyaranee Paikray, teacher, Odisha said, “This is a very good programme designed by the UPA government. But I have doubts on its success in Odisha as most of the families in the BPL list are fabricated. In Odisha the 1997 BPL list is still counted for everything and a large number of families with good economic background are enlisted in this. So the actual BPL families will be deprived from this programme. To make the programme successful in the state true BPL families should be traced out. Again mobile phone isn't the basic requirement. In spite of distributing mobile phones the government should heed on fullfill the basic requirements of BPL families.

But for some, the move will help in bridging gap between the local administration and BPL beneficiaries.

“This is an excellent programme initiated by the central government. With a mobile phone in hand which is actually not possible for every BPL families to buy would help them in many ways. They can easily call to Gram panchayat and block office for any query about governments programme for them. They can also contact the village ANM for any medical help. They will also feel that they aren't a lagging behind in the world of technology,” said Mukunda Parida of Cuttack who himself is a BPL beneficiary.

With inputs from Agencies