Ashok Gehlot's extravagance: iPhone 13 for 200 MLAs along with Rajasthan Budget 2022

Members of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly were pleasantly surprised when along with the copy of the state budget 2022-2023, each one of them received a brand new iPhone 13 handset.

All 200 MLAs of the assembly received the new Apple device. To note, one handset alone costs around Rs 70,000 (starting range). Now multiply it with 200 and the total expenditure of the government on this extravagance comes to around Rs 1.4 crore.

The iPhones come pre-installed with the state assembly app, which was launched by Legislative Assembly Secretary Mahavir Prasad Sharma. Till recently, this app was only available for Android devices. Now the app had now been made compatible with iOS (iPhone Operating System) devices. 

The Vidhan Sabha app offers details of questions, motions, bills, agenda, session review, budget speech, state Governor's address and proceedings of the house. Besides, business rules and news clippings will also be available for the use of the MLAs.

To recall, last time around, the Gehlot government had distributed tablets worth around Rs 40,000 to MLAs along with the budget. A copy of the 2021 budget was pre-deployed on the tablet. This despite that, according to reports, MLAs already have a Rs 90,000 allowance to buy a laptop or a tablet.

Ashok Gehlot's largess has been slammed by users on social media with some questioning the misuse of taxpayers' money to buy expensive iPhones for MLAs.

They also pointed out that the MLAs are already privileged enough to afford an expensive smartphone.