At least two journalists who received mobiles as New Year gifts from the Assam government on Thursday have returned the devices.
More than 2,200 journalists registered with the state’s Directorate of Information and Public Relations will be given mobiles as a gift, an official told Scroll.
While some of the journalists were given the phones during Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s press conference in Guwahati on Thursday, others are expected to receive them from the district commissioners by Magh Bihu, which will be celebrated on January 14.
Assam is expected to head for Assembly elections in the next four months.
“All the DIPR cardholders will receive the Samsung Galaxy F17,” the official told Scroll. “Every year we give some gifts to the journalists. We had given laptop bags, leather bags, water bottle, etc among others.”
The price of the phone online ranges between Rs 12,600 and Rs 16,000.
So far, Umanand Jiaswal of The Telegraph and Bikash Singh of The Economic Times have returned the devices, the official added.
In 2011, the Congress government in the state at the time had also distributed laptops to accredited journalists and those who had completed 10 years in the profession.
Schemes for students, women
Ahead of the polls, Sarma on Thursday also announced direct benefit transfer schemes for students and women.
On the lines of the Nijut Moina scheme, which…
Source: Journalists return mobiles gifted by Assam government
