CM’s digitalisation plans may hit roadblock

Visakhapatnam: Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s ambitious plan to distribute smart phones to families below the poverty line (BPL) due to the troubles posed by the demonetisation drive is likely to hit a roadblock. The concerned officials point out that the main reason for the failure is poor internet connectivity.
District collector Pravin Kumar had expressed concern about the issue in October this year while reviewing the progress of the Smart Pulse Survey.He had observed that the survey of 3,576 residential areas were not successful due to lack of internet connectivity. Later, BSNL officials were asked to improve internet connectivity in Visakha Agency and plain areas.
“Internet connectivity is extremely poor in many areas in and around the city. The government should first improve the service and then go for 100% digitalisation. The 30-minute free WiFi at public places is also not yielding desired results. The concerned authorities should come up with a mobile application where people will find all the services. Security is also a core issue that should be looked into by the bankers and government,” said AP Tourism committee member and a social activist Sohan Hatangadi.
K Paramesh, a mobile phone trader in the city, said, “Many areas in the city don’t have proper internet network. We can imagine what its like in the rural areas.”
According to a senior official from the collectorate, the CM wants to make AP one of the first states in the country to become 100% cashless and, for this, smart phones are needed. “Smart phones can be used for digital transactions. This will ease the shortage of lower denominations,” the officer added.
According to initial estimations, nearly 50-60 lakh smart phones are required for the entire state including Rs 12-15 lakh smart phones in the three north coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam. The government is mulling tie up with brands like Micromax, Karbonn and Celkon to handle the project.