The Prime Minister has stated the scheme is to benefit the poor, he said “It is government's duty to make rural India benefit from digital drive. People used to debate why does a poor nation like India need to send satellites? But, now that satellites forecast weather, it benefits the poor farmer.”
“I am confident that all the citizens of this country will be able to fulfil their dreams through Digital India. We aim to change India's future. Demographic dividend needs digital strength,” Modi said. “Digital connectivity is important. Digital divide can create big problems between the rich and the poor. The poor person will never be able to benefit from the opportunities that we are creating if he is not digitally connected,” emphasising on the value of the initiative.
We need to embrace the change that digital connectivity can bring. Now towns will come alongside places where the optical fibre network is present....Banking will soon go paperless....We can reduce the burden of students with Digital India...I can envision a world where people will store products in digital godowns.”
Union IT minister Ravi Shanker Prasad said the initiative is directed “more at the poor rather than at the elite” who can afford technology and, spelt out the work being done by the government. He said the government programme will lay 7 lakh km of optic fibre cables over the next three years, to help over 2.5 lakh village panchayats get high speed connectivity.
