Chennai, March 25 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu government has budgeted Rs.3,100 crore in 2015-16 towards free distribution of laptops to students and fans/mixies/grinders for women.

Presenting the budget for the next fiscal, Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam who also holds the finance portfolio, said on Wednesday: "To facilitate and equip our students with the latest computer skills and make them competitive, this government has been implementing the scheme of distribution of laptop computers free of cost to the students studying in Government and Government Aided Schools and Colleges in the state."

According to him, so far, 21.65 lakh students have benefited under this scheme.

"For this flagship scheme, this government has allocated Rs.1,100 crore in the Budget Estimates for 2015-2016," Panneerselvam said.

He said a sum of Rs.2,000 crore has been allocated for free distribution of fans/mixies/grinders for next fiscal.

The AIADMK party had promised free laptops for students and fans/mixies/grinders in its poll manifesto in 2011.