With the improvement in government finances, the finance ministry has decided to loosen its purse strings by allowing all officers of the rank of joint secretary and above at the Centre to get wireless in local loop mobile phones.
In an order issued last week, the expenditure department has permitted all central government ministries, departments and organisations to make available to all officers of the rank of joint secretary and above WLL phones in addition to their entitlement for land lines.
The move is expected to benefit nearly 2,000 officers and the monthly outgo is estimated to be around Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1 million).
The order says the fall in government expenditure has made it possible to make available the new facility to the officers. However, the new allowance will not be altogether unfettered.
There will be a ceiling of Rs 500 per month and officers will not be permitted to charge the government for handsets purchased by them.
However as a way out, the expenditure department has asked ministries and departments to make available the handset to the officers on rent.
Also, private operators would not be entertained since all connections have to be taken from the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd or Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd as of now.
The notification, to be effective from the date of issue, stipulates that the monthly bill will be included in the category of office-telephone expenses of the officer and no additional head of expenditure will be allowed to be created.
The government had earlier thought of this facility for the officers in 1995.
The scheme was, however, deferred due to the exorbitant telecom charges then. The expenditure department letter said the facility could not be provided then as the cost of the instrument was very high. There were high tariffs on both incoming and outgoing calls.
Recently, the department had reduced the monthly mobile phone entitlement for ministers.
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