Every year every student appearing in class 8 in government and aided schools will be given a tab.
Amaravati:
Several lakh students of classes 9 to 12 studying in government schools in Andhra Pradesh were left disappointed on Monday as the state could not keep its promise of providing them laptop computers.
Government sources say the offer to distribute laptops has been shelved as “they are expensive and many digital learning apps don’t work on them”.
Now, the government is contemplating to distribute only tabs (tablet computers) to the students of class VIII.
Each tab filled with digital learning content will cost the government Rs 12,000. “We are planning to distribute the tabs by September this year,” said a senior education official.
According to the official, Class 8 students will have to carry the same tab to further classes, so laptops will not be required.
Every year every student appearing in class 8 in government and aided schools will be given a tab.
Last year, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced that students of classes 9 to 12 could opt for laptop computers in lieu of Rs 15,000 (now reduced by Rs 2,000) under the Ammavodi scheme, aimed at helping mothers send their children. is to encourage. to schools.
He said that the laptops would be distributed in the 2022 academic year.
Accordingly, 8,21,655 students of classes 9 to 12 opted for laptops instead of cash. Of these, more than 1.10 lakh students were otherwise covered under Vasati Deewena, another free scheme.
But the government could not deliver the promised laptops as it did not negotiate with the suppliers on the prices.
Last week, Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana said that they were negotiating the price with suppliers and it would be finalized and laptops would be distributed to students along Ammavodi.
However, the CM introduced the distribution of cash freebies only through the laptop of an officer in the third round of Ammavodi on Monday.
In his address at the Ammavodi event, the CM only talked about distribution of tabs to class 8 students and did not mention laptops.
“I am in class 10th and have opted for laptop instead of cash. But now we are told that there is no laptop. I may have to wait another year, if they give it in junior inter (class 11) are,” K expressed regret. Naga Prabha of Guntur.
Government sources said that the task of procuring the laptop was entrusted to AP Technology Services. APTS sought to buy each laptop for Rs 18,000, depending on the configuration.
However, the suppliers are said to have quoted a price of Rs 26,000 per laptop, making it unavailable to the government.
“There was also a supply problem. The required number of gadgets were not easily available due to low production due to lack of chipsets,” a top official dealing with the issue told PTI.
He said that the additional financial burden on the state would be Rs 657 crore if the laptops were procured at the rate quoted by the suppliers. PTI DBV ROH ROH
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)