BJP and AAP lock horns over more funds to CM, ministers for cellphones
While AAP accused BJP of being "anti-poor" and celebrating by gifting expensive mobile phones to ministers, the party in power said the gadgets were used for storing records and official work, and even MLAs and MCD councillors used them.
The general administration department, in an office memo issued on July 9, enhanced the upper limit of mobile handset prices for the chief minister to Rs 1.5 lakh and to Rs 1.25 lakh for the ministers. The mobile handset will not ordinarily be replaced within two years from the date of its purchase, but if at any point in time, the probable cost of repair exceeds 50% of the total initial cost, the replacement will be allowed on a case-by-case basis, the memo added.
The monthly call charges are fixed as per actual bills.
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Officials said the reimbursement amounts for the mobile phone sets were last revised in 2013, when the upper ceiling was around Rs 45,000-50,000.
In a separate memo, Delhi govt enhanced the upper cost ceiling for mobile phones and reimbursement of telephone and broadband bills for officers from the deputy secretary to the chief secretary levels.
AAP Delhi convener Saurabh Bharadwaj took a dig at BJP govt, congratulating the chief minister and the ministers.
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Addressing a press conference, AAP MLA Anil Jha said BJP govt had ignored the promises made to the people ahead of the assembly election, such as Rs 2,500 to women, laptops for girl students or jobs for youth.
Hitting back at AAP, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said high-end phones were used for storing records and doing official work. He asked Jha that if he had an objection over the cost of the chief minister and ministers' mobile phones, he should say something about vehicles purchased for Rs 1.43 crore during 2015-22 for the then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kapoor said AAP members should make political statements while maintaining dignity.
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