Akhilesh distributes free laptops

For the nearly 10,000 young students, who were provided with free laptops by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday as part of the election promise made by the Samajwadi Party (SP), it was the fulfillment of a cherished dream.

It was a moment to savour for Akhilesh as well since he had personally come up with the idea, which figured in the SP’s election manifesto for last year’s UP Assembly polls.

 Addressing the function held to distribute the laptops, the Chief Minister was happy with his government’s ability to deliver on its poll promise. “When I had conceptualised it , there were reservations within my party about how the Socialists would shift to English and computers . From the Opposition also, my promise of free laptop was dubbed as jhunjhuna,” he said.

 According to Akhilesh, the laptops would not only open a world of knowledge and information to the boys and girls, but also help to bridge the digital divide in the state. More importantly, he said the students hailing from the rural areas would now be able to compete with their urban counterparts on an even footing. And the Chief Minister said that following the distribution of the laptops, the SP Government had fulfilled all its poll promises even before it completed its first year in office.

 Besides, the state administration had ensured the distribution of the unemployment allowance, loan waiver for the farmers, free water for irrigation purposes and financial assistance to the girl students.

 The government was determined to  revolutionise the state’s industrial and agricultural sectors and was committed to provide jobs to the unemployed sections, the CM added.  “Henceforth, the Opposition will have nothing  against us. We are not like the other parties (read the BSP), which do not even have election manifestos or others who have a slew of promises on their manifestos, but bury them after being voted to power. The SP has fulfilled all its promises. This is the party of Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has taught us to honour our word and fulfil the promises made to the people,” he said.

Over 15 lakh laptops would be distributed to the intermediate pass students and the state government had awarded the mega contract to HP.

“It is the biggest order (for laptops) given to any company by anyone in the world,” the Chief Minister pointed out. Earlier, the distribution of the laptops was scheduled to get under way in July, but it had been held up due to some procedural complexities.