The United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
government has decided to stay connected with the masses ahead of the
2014 general election. And, as part of its strategy, the UPA regime has been contemplating to give away free mobile phones to 60 lakh households.
The government's appeasement offensive is set to cost the exchequer a whopping Rs.7,000
crore. Under the proposed "Har Hath Mein Phone" project, the government
plans to give for free one cell phone each to every Below Poverty Level
(BPL) family.
Those involved in formulating the scheme want to sell it as a
government's major empowerment initiative and as a tool to ensure
contact with the beneficiaries of welfare programmes.
However, the Opposition saw the government move as a political
gimmick with an eye on 2014 polls. The opposition leaders said that the
government was trying to make up for its policy paralysis in the country
and various other burning issues by offering such doles.
Senior BJP leader Balbir Punj said, "I am amused... Electricity
should be provided to people in villages. Without electricity what is
the use of free mobile phones?"
"The government has not been able to implement any scheme without corruption... This is an election gimmick," he added.
It seems that the government want people to forget about people's key
problems related to water, food, housing and electricity and just wants
them to talk. But can doling out sops be a substitute for good
governance?
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