Youth in Goa have a lot to look forward to this season. As per reports from Panaji, the Government is all set with its free data scheme for youth with effect from 05-12-2016. In an attempt to create a level playing field in technology in the state, the government has partnered with Vodafone India for the digital youth initiative to be known as Goa Yuva Samvad Yojan. Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar will roll out his ambitious plan to provide 100 minutes of free talktime and 3 GB of free data to the youth in the state.
The agreement between the government and Vodafone stipulates that the cellular service provider has to provide SIM cards with 100 minutes of local voice calls and 3 GB of 3G data at a speed of 2Mbps for which the state will pay Rs 1 crore as monthly fees, sources said. The proposal was announced by the CM in the 2016-17 state budget. Goa Electronics Limited, a government subsidiary, had floated a request for the proposal on October 5 to all major telecom companies to provide free data and talk time for the benefit of the Goa people in the 18 to 35 year age bracket.
At a cabinet meeting on November 25, the BJP-led government had given its approval for the initiative which is in line with PM Narendra Modi’s Digital India initiative. GEL officials said Vodafone has already begun the process of rolling out the scheme in the state. Registrations and activations would be done at Vodafone India’s retail outlets in Goa, sources said. While the scheme will be implemented by the department of information technology, GEL will execute the contract and tendering process. GEL has also begun to develop a centralized online management system which will monitor the implementation of the scheme and ensure it is not misused.