AGARTALA: The Tripura government has decided to provide Rs 5000 to 14,608 students of the final year of the undergraduate level for buying Smartphone, a senior state minister said on Wednesday.
The ruling BJP had made a poll-pledge in 2018 to make available smartphones to the youths if the saffron party was elected to power in the state.
State Education Minister and cabinet spokesperson, Ratan Lal Nath said, the decision was taken in the recently concluded meeting of the council of ministers.
"We have selected 14,608 students in the final year of undergratuate level in 38 educational institutions which include 22 government degree colleges of the state.
"They will be given Rs 5,000 each under the 'Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana' scheme for buying a smartphone," he told reporters during the day.
The money would be directly sent to their bank accounts, he added.
The BJP with its ally Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) had formed a government in the Northeastern state in March 2018, ending the 25-year rule of the Left Front led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
He said, smartphone is helpful in opening up huge opportunities for developing skills, finding resources to enhance knowledge and availing employment opportunities.
This will empower them digitally and help them leverage the advantages of an interconnected world, the minister added.
Nath said the scheme will be implemented from the financial year 2020-2021 and the benefit would be once in a lifetime.
He added a total of Rs 7.30 crore would be spent on the scheme. The students have to file applications online with all details like their date of birth, address, Adhaar number, College or institutes name and account number of Bank, he said.