Thursday, May 12 2005 19:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Government today (May 12, 2005) said it proposed to provide newly unveiled mobile desktop computers to all Members of Parliament.

Replying to supplementarries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said the low maintenance computers costing around Rs 10,000 will be available in the market within the next three to four months and will be given to all MPs.

Sibal said the next few years will see breakthroughs of cheap technology reaching the poor.

For instance, he said, the cheap desalination plants processing one-lakh litres of waste a day through a technology of differential in temperature between surface water and deep water would be dedicated for public use.

The processing in the desalination plants would cost a mere 6 to 8 paise a litre, he said adding a US patent has already been acquired for the same.

He said technology has been developed for providing arsenic free water.

Sibal said there were technological breakthroughs in agriculture.

He said drought resistant and high yielding potatoes would also be provided to farmers.

He said path-breaking new technologies would be in use within the next 10 years.