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MLAs want and understand laptop now
HOW TIMES have changed. Seven-eight years back when there was talk of the Digvijay Singh government offering laptops to MLAs, the media was hugely sceptical.
HOW TIMES have changed. Seven-eight years back when there was talk of the Digvijay Singh government offering laptops to MLAs, the media was hugely sceptical.
It is a waste of money on techno-illiterate peoples’ representatives who, any way, are not exactly enthusiastic about acquiring laptop. This was the general perception in the media.
Now, the Hindustan Times found that no MLAs want to be seen so fool as to mock the Government decision to provide them the gizmo. And most, if not all, of them really understand its utility in expediting their work as an MLA.
The MLAs the HT contacted said they really need laptop. Some said they already have one and know how to operate it, others promised to learn its operation soon enough.
The State Government has earmarked Rs 40 lakh for laptops for MLAs. When they are going to get one, however, is a matter of conjecture.
BJP MLA from Balaghat, Bodh Singh Bhagat, said the moment he gets laptop he would feed data regarding public problems and expectations and applications he received, etc.
He had training of computer organised at Vidhan Sabha for MLAs. He is willing to undergo another crash course on computer, if offered.
BJP MLA from Mandla Shivraj Shah said he had worked on computer occasionally in certain offices but would like to learn working on it afresh.
This would lessen burden on the MLAs of carrying applications and files and remembering everything, he hoped. Congress MLA Ramniwas Rawat said he has PC at home and laptop would obviously come handy for him to carry the information wherever he goes.
He said laptop equipped with Internet and printers would help MLAs a lot. More importantly, they would store in it applications from their electorate. The administration’s response to their applications could also be fed in it and updated regularly.
Another Congress MLA Brijendra Singh Rathore said when information technology was growing at such a fast pace laptop was the need of hour for MLAs. BJP MLAs Brijendra Tiwari and Dharmu Rai also echoed this sentiment.
Dharmu Rai said laptop would not only help MLAs in discharging their duties it would also help them learn from it.
