The government is all set to roll a new rural connectivity scheme to improve tele-density especially in rural India which stands at 41 percent at present. On the contrary, urban tele-density stands at a whooping 147 percent, pleading the government to fill the gap.

The new scheme, according to a report in The Hindu Business Line, will provide internet enabled handsets to 25 million rural households. The report said the beneficiaries will get a internet enabled handset after paying a one time fee of Rs 300. It quoted a senior government official as saying that the villagers will be given a smart phone and a free recharge of Rs 30 (Rs 1 a day) would be provided by BSNL every month for two years.

According to the report, this will entitle them to 30 minute airtime, 30 SMS text messages and 30 MB of data usage. It will also enable to get push messages from the government about agriculture, healthcare, education and financial services.

The funding of the project, according to the report, will be provided by the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF) which accumulates the cess levied on telecom companies to provide rural connectivity.

The report said that the handsets would be given to the woman of the household and will only be given to men in the absence of women. Only one beneficiary would be eligible per household. A beneficiary, to be eligible, would have to enroll herself in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Scheme (MGNREGAS) and work under it for a minimum of 25 days.