Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's highly significant scheme, the "Indira Gandhi Smartphone Yojana," is set to be launched on August 10, 2023. The scheme aims to provide women with smartphones equipped with internet connectivity. During the initial phase, 1 lakh 40 thousand 905 women from Udaipur district will be the beneficiaries of this program. This smartphone distribution initiative was announced by Chief Minister Shri Ashok Gehlot in the budget. As the launch date approaches, the District Administration and the Nodal Department, Information Technology, and Communication Department are working diligently to make all necessary preparations for the smooth implementation of the much-awaited scheme.

Ms. Sheetal Agarwal, the Joint Director of the Information Technology and Communication Department, stated that preparations are underway under the guidance of District Collector Arvind Poswal to successfully conduct the proposed camp for distributing smartphones in Udaipur district. The distribution will be carried out through a total of 24 camps, with four camps located at the district headquarters and one camp in each block. During the first phase, a total of 1 lakh 40 thousand 905 beneficiaries in the district will be provided with smartphones, benefiting 1 lakh 28 thousand 47 women from rural areas and 12 thousand 858 women from urban areas. The scheme aims to bridge the digital divide and empower women with internet connectivity through smartphones, as announced by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the budget.

According to Joint Director Aggarwal, the first phase of the scheme will benefit specific groups of women in Udaipur district. These include girls studying in class 9 to 12 in government schools belonging to selected Chiranjeevi families, women who receive widow or single women pension, girl students enrolled in government higher educational institutions such as colleges, ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes), and polytechnics. Additionally, women who have completed 100 working days under the MahaNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) in the year 2022-23 and women who have completed 50 working days under the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme in the same period will also be beneficiaries of the scheme. The distribution of smartphones with internet connectivity aims to provide these women with enhanced access to information and communication technologies, empowering them in various aspects of their lives.

Before the scheduled date of the camp under the scheme, information will be sent to the pre-selected beneficiaries through mobile messages to invite them. On the day of the Beneficiary Camp, attendees are required to bring their Jan Aadhaar Card, Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, passport-sized photo, and eligibility-related documents (such as ID card and enrollment number card for studying girl students, PPO number for pension recipients, etc.) along with the original copy of Jan Aadhaar. It is essential for the beneficiaries to carry their mobile phones with the registered mobile number.

For beneficiaries who are below 18 years of age, it is mandatory for the Jan Aadhaar female head to accompany them to the camp. In case the name of any eligible beneficiary is missing from the list, they can register on Rajasthan Sampark 181. Beneficiaries can also verify their eligibility status through the Jan Soochna Portal. To ensure smooth operations during the camps, a district-level control room has been set up, and individuals can contact them at 0294-2414620 if needed. 

During the camp, the e-wallet app will be installed on the registered mobile number of the beneficiaries as per their Jan Aadhaar records. Through this app, the state government will transfer the designated amount via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). With this amount, the beneficiaries will have the opportunity to acquire smartphones and SIM cards directly at the camp site. The seamless integration of the e-wallet app with the DBT system will facilitate a convenient and efficient process for the beneficiaries to access the necessary resources during the camp.

As part of the campaign to distribute smartphones to women, the Department of Information Technology and Communication is conducting a series of training sessions. These training workshops are being held at both the state headquarters and district headquarters. Over the last three days, three consecutive training workshops have been successfully organized. Joint Director Ms. Sheetal Aggarwal mentioned that these training sessions focused on providing information to officers and employees from the subdivision and block headquarters about the proper organization and management of the distribution camps. These training efforts aim to equip the officials with the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure the smooth and efficient execution of the distribution process, enabling more women to benefit from the scheme effectively.