Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel began distributing financial assistance to farmers on Wednesday for the purchase of smartphones.
“We are trying to ensure that farmers in the state do not miss out on the digital revolution launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi… This scheme is to ensure that farmers are not left behind due to the price of the smartphones,” said Patel distributing Rs 1.84 lakh to 33 farmers in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.
“A total of 40,016 applications have been received by the agriculture department from farmers for smartphones. The budget allocation for providing smartphones to farmers is Rs 15 crore. Under this scheme, 40 per cent of the cost of the smartphones or up to a maximum of Rs 6,000 will be borne by the state government for the purchase of smartphones that cost up to Rs 15,000 per unit,” said Raghavji Patel, minister for agriculture and farmer welfare.
“These smartphones will help farmers access information regarding agriculture and relevant weather forecasts at their fingertips. They can use this knowledge in their farming,” he said, adding that 25,000 farmers will benefit from this scheme.
It was reported earlier this month that 512 of Gujarat’s 17,843 inhabited villages lack telecommunications connectivity. In the Dangs, Narmada, and Kutch districts, connectivity is as low as 10% to 30%.