THE 5 LAKH TABLETS PURCHASED FOR ₹700 CRORE DURING THE COVID PERIOD HAVE NOW BECOME TOYS, THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF PROMOTED CORRUPTION THROUGH CENTRALIZED PURCHASING, THE EVERY SECTION OF SOCIETY IS SUFFERING DUE TO THE WRONG POLICIES OF THE BJP GOVERNMENT

The General Secretary of All India Congress Committee, former Union Minister, and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja said that the truth of the education system under the BJP government in the state was fully exposed when the 5 lakh tablets purchased for ₹700 crore during the COVID period have now turned into mere toys. In such a situation, the government should ensure an impartial investigation into the tablet scam and take strict action against the guilty officials who played with the future of the nation in the name of distributing tablets.

In a statement released to the media Kumari Selja said that during the COVID period, the government bought tablets worth ₹700 crore for five lakh students in schools, but these tablets, without SIM cards or internet access, are now non-functional and hanging indefinitely. No one knows when they will start working. As of now, they have become nothing more than toys. Kumari Selja said that this scheme was launched during the tenure of then-Chief Minister Manohar Lal, but the current government has completely derailed it. Instead of benefiting students, it has caused them more harm. The curriculum was only loaded for three years, and though the government planned to update the data, even that task was left incomplete.

Kumari Selja said that the government blindly implements schemes by relying solely on officials, without assessing whether they are beneficial or harmful. Through centralized purchasing, the government itself has encouraged corruption. Its education policy has consistently failed. Computers were sent to schools where there was no electricity connection, and tablets were distributed for show to children where there was neither internet nor SIM cards. Later, under the pretext of misuse, these tablets were taken back. The number of actual misuse cases was very low only those few should have had their tablets reclaimed. The academic session of April 2025–26 has already begun, but tablets have not been distributed; they’re probably lying in some corner gathering dust.

Kumari Selja said that the government must first focus on improving infrastructure, ensuring electricity, water, and toilet facilities in schools. Dilapidated buildings should be repaired if possible, or new ones should be constructed. Schools should have electricity connections and internet access; even Wi-Fi can be provided.

The computers sent by the government are probably lying unused in some corner, and the same is true for the Eduset system. The entire scheme of distributing computers, tablets, and Edusets without proper planning reeks of corruption. Kumari Selja demanded that if the tablets are faulty, they should be repaired and distributed to children along with SIM and internet facilities, as they were purchased keeping students' interests in mind. Or else, the government should openly admit that ₹700 crore has gone down the drain.