NEW DELHI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- India's ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government is to gift a mobile phone to every family living below the poverty line, local media reported Wednesday.

The scheme, titled "Har Haath Mein Phone" (in every hand, a phone), will be announced by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the country's Independence Day on August 15. It will also provide 200 minutes of free local talktime, The Times of India newspaper reported, quoting unnamed sources in the Prime Minister' s Office.

The scheme will benefit some six million households living below the poverty line in India, the report said, adding that the fund would be provided by the Telecom Ministry's Universal Service Obligation funds.

However, the country's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) has described the freebie as a desperate attempt to seek favour among voters ahead of the general elections in 2014.