With the elections in urban bodies around the corner, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik distributed free laptops to the meritorious students in the 10+2 examination 2013. The ceremony was launched at the Jayadev Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.
The government has selected 15,235 students from the 10+2 exams conducted by the CHSE in 2013. The distribution was slated to be held on August 15 at the BJB College. However, with the Orissa High Court giving green signal to hold the municipal elections in 91 urban local bodies, the government went in a hurry to issue advertisements and distribute the laptops to the students.
The Chief Minister distributed 20 laptops in the first phase. Higher Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra along with many other dignitaries, was present at the occasion. The entire process may take two to three months for completion.
Odisha joined the bandwagon of states such as Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to distribute free laptops to the students. The scheme has come under severe criticism from the Opposition and Senior Journalists, who termed the entire excise as a “poll gimmick”.
