'Not bribing people': Akhilesh Yadav on charge of smartphone as poll sop

Lucknow: Deflecting the opposition's charges that his free smartphone scheme was a poll sop, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday termed it is an effort to bridge the gap between government and people with the help of technology.

The BJP on Wednesday had moved the Election Commission against Yadav's announcement of free smart phones for the poor, claiming it violates the Model Code of Conduct. It claimed the scheme was an attempt to "be-fool" people by offering allurements before the elections.

"We are not bribing people through the smartphone scheme. I have heard, they (the Opposition) are going to the Election Commission over it. Some even say we have a slogan 'We will give you mobile, you give us votes'," Yadav said at an official function.

His remarks come days after he announced the Samajwadi Smartphone scheme aimed at helping communication between the government and people, and eliciting direct feedback on government schemes.

Yadav clarified, "The intention is to give as much facilities as possible. The biggest challenge before the government is how to take schemes to masses. Even they want to know what the government is doing for them. We are trying to bridge this gap with the help of smart phone technology."

An app on the smartphone will provide people information about the state government's schemes through audio-visual and text.

Registration for smartphones will begin in a month's time and distribution will start in the latter half of 2017, if the Samajwadi Party wins the elections due early next year.

"Some said laptops (distributed as part of SP's poll promise in 2012) have not benefited anyone. I am going to hold a function and invite children who were the first to get it. I will ask them how it has benefitted them," he said.