September 10, 2018

From banking to keeping in touch with family - Chhattisgarh's 'SKY' scheme is helping transform lives

Sita is a housewife who stays with her two children at Jashpur. Her husband lives in Himachal Pradesh for his job.It is not very easy for Sita to run the family all alone. But somehow she manages the outdoor as well as household duties. Her husband sends money from Himachal Pradesh and she has to run to the ATM every time she needs cash. Sometimes her children do that when they are not busy in studies. There are other jobs like paying bills, paying for children’s school fees, buying things from the market etc. It gets a little bit too much for her at times though. Life becomes very hectic on certain occasions.

But her life is becoming easier now. It took just a smart phone to bring a lot of positive changes to her life. The smart phone has been provided to her under the Sanchar Kranti Yojana or SKY, a revolutionary scheme introduced by the Chhattisgarh government. The aim of the scheme is to reach out to 45 lakh women and 5 lakh students and distribute smart phones among them. The beneficiaries of the scheme are from socio-economically backward sections of the society.  Another objective is to install mobile towers in the areas where mobile connectivity is poor. This is expected to bring revolutionary changes in the state which is counted among the ones with the lowest percentage of mobile connectivity as well as the lowest number of smartphone users in the country.

Sita, being one of the beneficiaries of SKY, has also got hold of a smart phone. The phone has brought several positive changes to her life. She can now do certain transactions including online banking transactions with her smart phone without having to go out. She also manages several other documentation works with her smart phone now. But apart from making this type of work easier, the smart phone has also filled her life with some other simple pleasures. She can now do video calls with her husband who is away from home and he can also talk face to face with the children because of the smart phone. “These little things bring the family closer. The children also feel that their father is near them. It is something that has been made possible by the smart phone.” She says.

Sita is also planning to create a Facebook account soon. She wants to stay connected to friends and relatives through the social media platform. Sharing family photos and updates is a big motivation for her. “I will soon be connected to people through Facebook. I am eager to explore the new world.” She says.

Sita also feels that the smart phone will help the children study well and get better results in examinations. She feels that the SKY has been a boon for women like her. “The smart phone has changed my life a lot. However, I would have never thought of buying one myself because I could not afford it. The SKY has been a boon for me. I think other women like me are also feeling the same about the SKY.”

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