Gates-smitten Gupta hands out PCs

Given the fact that Uttar Pradesh is cash-starved and the government finds it hard to pay salaries of its employees every month and is under debt by Rs 70,000 crore, the Chief Minister’s decision is being seen in political circles as somewhat bizarre. A BJP leader summed it up nicely, “in a state where there is no electricity, potable water and where several districts lack basic infrastructure, what is the logic behind in giving laptops to the MLAs, most of whom do not know the ABC of computers." On his part, the Chief Minister said that rules providing for expenditure from the MLAs fund would be suitably amended because the fund (Rs 50 lakh) has certain guidelines which the legislators have to follow before directing for any development work in their respective region.

The decision on e-governance was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Gupta on Wednesday where the Chief Minister virtually steamrolled his way with none of the ministers present at the meeting uttering a single word of protest.

In what is being termed as post-Gates aftershocks on the Chief Minister, the cabinet meeting also decided to make improvements in the technical education policy of the state. A special emphasis will be given on the IT sector in the new technical education policy for which the private sector will be given impetus for setting up engineering institutes.