State Congress had promised to give free smartphones to youths in the state. (File)
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Tuesday said the company which has supplied 50,000 smartphones to the state government has clarified it has no connection with China, according to an official release.
Mr Singh stated this while interacting with the Punjab Youth Congress president and his team during a video conference. The youth Congress raised the issue of delay in fulfilling the party's poll promise of distributing free smartphones to youths.
Mr Singh had on June 29 said his government would check the "involvement" of China in an Indian firm selected to deliver these smartphones.
An official release quoting Mr Singh said Tuesday, "The Chief Minister said the first batch of 50,000 smartphones had arrived from the company, which had now clarified that it had no connection with China."
These devices would be distributed first among Class 11 and 12 girl students of government schools, with priority to those who do not have smartphones so that their online learning can be facilitated during the coronavirus lockdown, the release said.
Amid India-China border tensions, Mr Singh had said on June 29, "We will check what is China's involvement in this (company) and to what extent. And then we will take a decision."
He had also asked the BJP-led Centre to return donation by several Chinese firms to the PM-CARES Fund.
Before coming to power in 2017, the state Congress had promised to give free smartphones to youths in the state.
The Congress had announced in its election manifesto that in order to "encourage and incentivise" youths to use digital technology in day-to-day life, it would distribute free smartphones.