BENGALURU: Making it evident that the state government’s free laptop scheme to SC ST students has a political agenda, Higher Education Minister Basavaraja Rayareddi has asked the beneficiaries of the scheme to travel all the way to Davangere on November 18 to get the computers.
The government provides free laptops to SC/ST students studying in undergraduate and technical courses.
In a communication to the Commissioner of Collegiate Education, the Principal Secretary to the Higher Education Department and the district administration of Davangere, the minister has directed them to make necessary arrangements for food and transportation of the scheme’s beneficiaries who will be travelling from across the state to Davangere.
“It is already approved and the tenders have been finalised. Laptops will be distributed to SC/ST students studying undergraduate courses across the state on November 18 by Chief Minister at Davangere. So, make all necessary arrangements for travel and food for the students,”the minister’s letter reads.
Instead of distributing the laptops to the students at their colleges, the minister asking the students to attend a programme in Davangere has attracted criticism from both students and teachers. Commenting on this, a senior faculty at a government degree college in the city raised the question of safety of students. “Who will be responsible for their safety? It is not right to take students all the way to Davangere,” he said.
The laptops could have been given to us in our college itself, said a student.