No laptops for students as Akali govt goes back on poll promise
Saturday, 21/03/2015
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/
Chandigarh : The SAD-BJP government has gone back on its promise to give laptops to students.
In response to a question by Leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar in the Assembly, Education Minister Daljeet Singh Cheema said: “After examining all aspects, our government has decided not to go ahead (with providing laptops to school students).” The experience of the UP Government was not encouraging, Cheema said. There are more than two lakh students in Classes XI and XII.
On the eve of the last Assembly elections, the SAD, in its manifesto, had promised laptops to secondary level students. The government has only diluted its commmitment over the past three years. First, the state government talked about giving tablets and then laptops. And today, it backed out.
Jakhar described the government move as regressive. “I will ask all Congress MLAs to return the money provided to them by the government for laptops,” he said. However, Cheema told Jakhar and other Congress MLAs, “It is a well-thought-out decision of the government not to give laptops. Instead, a programme has been made to strengthen the computer labs in all the elementary and secondary government schools.” Not convinced by Cheema’s argument, Congress MLA Tarlochan Singh said that this government came to power by telling people lies.
Cheema said the government had formed a committee to discuss the laptop issue. A provision of Rs 110 crore was also made in the budget. But now, we will spend Rs 310 crore to upgrade computer labs because the number of students benefiting from it would be more, he added.
