With the union budget around the corner, misleading claims around the announcements expected from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are doing the rounds. PIB Fact Check has clarified regarding two fake viral posts propagating falsehoods.
Bogus “Free Laptop Scheme” Dupes Citizens
A scam in circulation promises students free laptops from the government through a poster titled “Prime Minister Free Laptop Scheme 2023-24”. PIB Fact Check confirms the Ministry of Education has no such ongoing initiative distributing complimentary laptops.
Scammers still allure victims via the professionally designed but error-ridden poster to share personal details on a purported official portal for receiving laptops. Thus users should steer clear of such shady offers using the government’s brand name illegally for extraction of sensitive information.
An image circulating on social media claims that the Union Finance Minister @nsitharaman will announce a 3-day week off policy in the next #Budget#PIBFactCheck
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) January 31, 2024
✔️This claim is #fake
✔️No such proposal has been floated by @FinMinIndia pic.twitter.com/XYIy4DmkKB
Rumours of 3-Day Week-Off Policy Also Dispelled
Another viral image claims Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will announce a 3-day weekly leave policy for companies in her February 1 budget speech. Fact checkers debunk this as absolutely fake news with no credible basis.
They urge citizens to desist sharing unverified claims at will on social platforms. Checking authentic government sources like PIB Fact Check is advised before propagating budget expectations to prevent misinformation.
