Bengaluru: The Congress government's ambitious plan to distribute 1.5 lakh laptops among all undergraduate students, which was announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself, has received a big blow. A seven-member committee of the Legislative Council, probing the alleged laptop purchase scam, has given conditional permission to the government to distribute only 38,000 laptops to Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe students as announced in the State Budget.
The panel has not allowed distribution of 1.5 lakh laptops, announced by the CM till it submits its findings on the purchase scam, to the chairman of the Council. "We have given permission only to distribute 38,000 laptops purchased under the SC/ST plan of Department of Social Welfare," a panel member told Deccan Chronicle.
The laptops were distributed among SC/ ST students by the CM at a function held at Vidhaan Soudha in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The panel had put three conditions before allowing the government to distribute 38,000 laptops. Firstly, the government should clarify how it selected a blacklisted company for the bulk purchase. Secondly, third party inspection of laptops should be done after its distribution. Thirdly, the panel will make surprise visits to hostels/educational institutions to check the quality of laptops.
