Panaji, Feb 26 (IANS): The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has slammed the state government for distributing free tablets to students, without creating infrastructure for IT-eductaion.

The GCCI claims that instead of helping the students to study, the gadgets are ending up as a distraction.

State's Chief Minister and IT Minister Manohar Parrikar's pet project involves free distribution of 47,000 tablet PCs to school students.

"PCs and Tablets are not used to its potential. Instead of serving as an aid to education, these facilities are proving to be a distraction," the pre-budget memorandum said, adding that there was "no proper infrastructure for providing IT education in the schools".

In December last year on Manohar Parrikar's birthday, the first of the 47,000 tablets were distributed to students as part of a new scheme announced by the BJP-led coalition government.

The tablets, pre-loaded with educational software and other add-ons, were acquired by the Info-Tech Corporation of Goa (ITCG) for Rs.9,950 each.

The purchase of tablets also attracted controversy with a group of IT businessmen claiming that a government-backed cartel of computer traders managed to sell tablet PCs at higher than the market price.

The Congress party has already filed a complaint with the crime branch, alleging a Rs.30 crore scam in the purchase of the tablets.

BJP legislaor Subhash Phaldesai, who heads the Info Tech Corporation of Goa, rejected the allegations, calling these "ridiculous".