Just Read and Article on TOI – “Every poor family may get a mobile“
Salient observations made –
- Har Hath mein phone
- Expected to be announced on August 15, 2012 by PM
- Scheme is of Rs. 7000 Crore
- 200 minutes to be free
- To be Funded from the Telecom Department’s Universal Service Obligation Funds
- Scheme would involve Monthly expenditure of Rs. 100 / mth / phone
- 50% of Funds to come from the Successful Bidder
Interesting that this stuff is coming at a juncture when most of the political parties are working towards ensuring that they prepare the right manifest and are putting the right Foot forward for the elections coming up in 2014. This could lead to a speculation that the UPA has a hidden motive to reach the masses that play important role in the Poll Swings. A Scheme that may be dubbed as the scheme to empower the Poors or the BPL families. A scheme that would certainly have UPA earn some browny points.
Few points that I derived from the reading –
- What would be the base to identify the “Poor”? If it would be the wages, well a good point. But, if the Poor doesn’t have enough to eat meals twice a day or to have a house to live, what would they do with the Phone?
- What would be the per minute charges beyond initial 200 free minutes?
- What would Govt do if the Poor wouldn’t have the required money to pay for the excess bill? it is sure that if the bill is for the amount that the Poor Will Not be able to Pay, the service will get disconnected. What would Govt. do to ensure that the services are restored
- How would Govt. ensure that the “Poor” do not sell off the phones for quick money?
- How would Govt. ensure that the phones do not get misused and do not get in the wrong hands?
- Wouldn’t it be good to ensure that the Poor get better education facility than the phone? If the poor wouldn’t know to read and write, how are they going to use the mobile effectively?
- Wouldn’t it be better to run a scheme that would ensure that the Poor get facilitated to get recurring Job and regular Income? That would ensure regular meals for them, that is what I opine.
These are just few questions that came to my mind and I couldn’t stop wondering as to what would be the overall mechanism by the Government to ensure that the end result if the scheme would as “Envisaged” and as Expected…..
If you think you have any answer to the above, please do post your opinion and let all of us also understand the mechanism 🙂
