Raj budget: Govt hands out MLAs iPhones worth nearly ₹90,000

Jaipur The Rajasthan government has bought all 200 members in the legislative assembly new phones costing nearly ₹90,000 each, prompting opposition MLAs to accuse chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s administration of indulging in a wasteful expense

Jaipur

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The Rajasthan government has bought all 200 members in the legislative assembly new phones costing nearly ₹90,000 each, prompting opposition MLAs to accuse chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s administration of indulging in a wasteful expense.

The government has defended the decision, saying the phones – the newest version of Apple’s iPhone (13) – was required since the House is going paperless.

“The assembly is going paperless and the effort is to make members of the house hi-tech. Initially, the government in its second budget allocated ₹80,000 (for each MLA) for computers and printers. At the time, it was iPads, now it’s iPhones,” said a ruling party member of legislative assembly.

Like last year, the devices were handed out after the state government presented its Budget.

The MLA quoted above said the idea and intentions are welcoming but “unfortunately, the required results are not received as still the questions listed by MLAs are sent manually, despite the system being made online”.

Opposition lawmaker, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Vasudev Devnani said it was a welcome step for the assembly to go paperless but spending such amounts of money when the state’s economy is in a poor shape was not justified. “Today’s budget is taking the state towards more than a ₹5 lakh crore debt. The revenue collection is declining. In such a time how far is it justified to buy such an expensive phone?” he said.

The Rajasthan unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also criticised the step.

“Under the rule of Congress in Rajasthan the taxpayer’s money is being wasted like this. The government gave iPhone 13 to all the MLAs. BJP will not say anything on this because they are also going to get the same. Just [it seems the] public should not get anything for free,” tweeted AAP Rajasthan from its official handle.

Social activist Mukesh Goswami too questioned the decision. “The members in the house are capable of buying the phones themselves. There could have been other affordable smartphones, instead of what has been given. The funds could have been used for welfare scheme. Besides, this will start a new tradition, and soon officials will also be demanding similar devices,” he said