8,000 students to receive free laptops in Ghaziabad

The stage is set for Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s Ghaziabad visit on Monday where he will distribute over 8,000 laptops to Class 12 passouts from Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar districts. Peeyush Khandelwal reports.

The stage is set for Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s Ghaziabad visit on Monday where he will distribute over 8,000 laptops to Class 12 passouts from Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar districts, thus delivering on one of the most significant pre-poll promises made by the ruling party before it assumed power in the state in 2012.

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Nearly 164 buses, carrying students from both the districts, will arrive at the venue at Kamla Nehru Nagar ground on Monday where 8,074 laptops will be distributed.

While around 5,598 students, including 3,598 girls, from Ghaziabad will get their laptops, nearly 2,476 students, including 1,526 girls, from Gautam Budh Nagar will receive the freebies.

Amid high-level security arrangements, the Ghaziabad district administration have deployed around 4,000 police and Provincial Arms Constabulary personnel at the venue. Further, a strong presence of nearly 45 CCTVs will also supplement the security.

“We have completed all arrangements — deployment of cops and women cops in the buses, provision of first-aid boxes, ambulances — to ensure that students come and get back safe,” said senior superintendent of police Nitin Tiwari.

The entire consignment has been delivered by an IT company as part of a state government project which awarded a contract of R2,858 crore to the company for supplying 15 lakh laptops.