Registration deadline for free smartphones in UP extended till November 25

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday extended, till November 25, the registration date of the Samajwadi Party (SP) Smartphone Scheme, in view of the huge enthusiasm among the people of the state, specially the youth, about the scheme, an official said.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has exhorted the people of the state to register in large numbers and also urge friends and relatives to do the same. He added that Uttar Pradesh was the first state in the country to roll out such a scheme with an aim of improving governance through the use of smartphones.

The registration process of the free smartphone scheme, announced by the Chief Minister began on a web portal on October 10, with its closing date being November 10.

The world`s largest such scheme, will enrollment through laptops, mobile phones, cyber cafes and Jan Suvidha Centres, has resulted in 74,31,101 people on board.

Other than this, 19,344 people are in the process of registration. On a mobile number, a maximum of five people can registr.

Under the scheme, all persons of the state who have passed high school or equivalent exam, are bonafide citizens of the state, aged 18 or more as on January 1, 2017, with family income not exceeding Rs 6 lakh and their parents not government officials of class I or Class 2 can apply.

The SP sees it as a game changer as it goes into polls. The smartphones would be distributed free of cost if and when it comes back to power next year.