New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Rajasthan plans to give around one crore poor families a Rs 1,000-aid from the state government to buy smart phones using which they can remain informed of welfare schemes and avail benefits as per their eligibility.

Launching the Bhamashah Digital Parivar Yojana on Tuesday, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje said the subsidy of Rs 1,000 will be given to card holders in two installments.

The government will give a first instalment of Rs 500, using which card holders will be able to buy a smartphone. Those who buy the smartphone will get the second Rs 500 instalment using which they will have to get the internet connection.

The government has tied up with a telecom provider which will provide the phones at Rs 500. The state will also track the use of funds online.

“We have ensured that poor people on touch of a button can know about the government’s welfare schemes. This is Bhamashah Digital Parivar Yojana that will benefit one crore card holders,” Raje told a gathering of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, sanitation workers, and differently-abled people at a ‘Mukhya Mantri Jan Samvad’ (Chief Minister’s Dialogue with People).

Congress spokespersons Archana Sharma said the government was announcing populist schemes in election year as they are desperate.

“It’s a gimmick in election year,” she said, questioning how users could renew their connections, and drew comparisons with the Ujjwala scheme in which not more than 20% were able to get a second refill.

The CM also claimed that her government had generated employment for 16 lakh people in the last five years.