The Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPI-M) Sunday called the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government's proposal to give mobile phones to every below-poverty line family in the country a "cruel joke".

The CPI-M said the plan was aimed at diverting public attention from the multi-billion dollar 2G spectrum scam, according to a publication of the party.

"The (UPA) government has taken this scheme due to two reasons, one with an eye on 2014 general elections, and second one is to divert public attention from the mammoth 2G spectrum scam," said an editorial in Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) publication Ganashakti.

The "Har Hath Mein Phone" (phone in every hand) scheme, which is expected to be announced by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government soon, aims at providing mobile phones to every below poverty line (BPL) family in the country along with 200 minutes of free local talk time.

"The central government has failed to provide basic needs such as food, shelter, education but they are ready to provide mobile phones under this scheme. What else can we call it other than a cruel joke on BPL families," the editorial said.

Stating official statistics of 350 million people living below poverty line, the editorial stated that in most of the cases the government has failed to provide basic amenities.

"More than 20 percent of the BPL families don't have electricity in their homes. And if this scheme becomes a truth, then it means that most of the BPL families will have a mobile phone but no electricity," it said.