<p>Jaipur: The much-hyped free smartphone scheme for women, launched by the previous Congress government, has been put on hold. </p><p>The new BJP government is going to review the scheme and take a final call on the continuation of the scheme.</p><p>The Indira Gandhi Smartphone scheme was launched by the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government on August 10 in 2023, a few months before the elections. </p><p>Under the scheme’s first phase, there were plans to distribute 40 lakh smartphones to three categories of beneficiaries :those who receive pension as widows, women heads of families who have completed 100 days of work under MNREGA and girl students.</p>.Rajasthan Governor criticises Gehlot's 'financial mismanagement'. <p>BJP had criticised the scheme during the campaign saying it was an attempt to lure the women vote bank. </p><p>Today, a debate in the Vidhan Sabha over the continuation of the scheme ensued with the Congress MLA from Bamanwas, Indra Meena, asking the government to provide a straight answer whether the rest of the beneficiaries would be provided with the phones or not. </p><p>She asked the government to consider that it is a valuable educational tool as students can study online with it. </p><p>She said it was needless to review the scheme and decide on the future course as everybody knows how useful a smartphone is.</p><p>Information Technology and Communications minister, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, answering on behalf of the present government said till now at least 24.56 lakh women have received the smartphones with Internet. </p><p>But he said the scheme needs to be reviewed and only then its continuation would be decided upon. </p><p>The BJP government has stopped the Rajiv Gandhi Yuva Mitra Internship programme, which gave internships to youths on a stipend of Rs 17000 per month. </p><p>They have also put a brake on the flagship Chiranjeevi Insurance Scheme and are now publicising the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana. </p><p>The BJP government has also changed the name of Indira Rasoi renaming it Annapura Rasoi.</p><p>Meanwhile Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra taunted the BJP for making two-time former chief minister Vasundhara Raje sit in line with the MLAs and Independent MLAs and not even with the ministers.</p><p>Criticising the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Dotasra said only 49 lakh families would be covered under it and the insurance amount was only Rs 5 lakh. He said in contrast Congress had already provided relief to 45 lakh families under Chiranjeevi Yojana worth Rs 5000 crore.</p>
<p>Jaipur: The much-hyped free smartphone scheme for women, launched by the previous Congress government, has been put on hold. </p><p>The new BJP government is going to review the scheme and take a final call on the continuation of the scheme.</p><p>The Indira Gandhi Smartphone scheme was launched by the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government on August 10 in 2023, a few months before the elections. </p><p>Under the scheme’s first phase, there were plans to distribute 40 lakh smartphones to three categories of beneficiaries :those who receive pension as widows, women heads of families who have completed 100 days of work under MNREGA and girl students.</p>.Rajasthan Governor criticises Gehlot's 'financial mismanagement'. <p>BJP had criticised the scheme during the campaign saying it was an attempt to lure the women vote bank. </p><p>Today, a debate in the Vidhan Sabha over the continuation of the scheme ensued with the Congress MLA from Bamanwas, Indra Meena, asking the government to provide a straight answer whether the rest of the beneficiaries would be provided with the phones or not. </p><p>She asked the government to consider that it is a valuable educational tool as students can study online with it. </p><p>She said it was needless to review the scheme and decide on the future course as everybody knows how useful a smartphone is.</p><p>Information Technology and Communications minister, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, answering on behalf of the present government said till now at least 24.56 lakh women have received the smartphones with Internet. </p><p>But he said the scheme needs to be reviewed and only then its continuation would be decided upon. </p><p>The BJP government has stopped the Rajiv Gandhi Yuva Mitra Internship programme, which gave internships to youths on a stipend of Rs 17000 per month. </p><p>They have also put a brake on the flagship Chiranjeevi Insurance Scheme and are now publicising the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana. </p><p>The BJP government has also changed the name of Indira Rasoi renaming it Annapura Rasoi.</p><p>Meanwhile Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra taunted the BJP for making two-time former chief minister Vasundhara Raje sit in line with the MLAs and Independent MLAs and not even with the ministers.</p><p>Criticising the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Dotasra said only 49 lakh families would be covered under it and the insurance amount was only Rs 5 lakh. He said in contrast Congress had already provided relief to 45 lakh families under Chiranjeevi Yojana worth Rs 5000 crore.</p>