Mysuru: Mayor M J Ravi Kumar has urged the government to probe against corporation officials for their alleged failure to handle CUG mobile bills.
Ravi, reacting to the misuse of CUG mobile phones by few corporators, especially the one belonging to Ward No 47 and 48 whose bill is more than a Rs 1 Lakh said, “For these irregularities officials should be blamed. Though the facility is provided since 2007-08, what were they doing these many days and why they failed to take any action? Though there is a certain package it may be post or prepaid, why they failed to provide such packages that could have saved lakhs of rupees to the corporation as well as to government. I will try to write to the government to conduct a thorough enquiry in this regard.”
According to official sources, out of Rs 17 Lakh, the total annual mobile bill of corporation, the annual billing of corporators belonging to ward no 46, 47 and 48 is Rs 59,000, Rs 1.33 Lakh and Rs 1.3 Lakh respectively. It was in 2007-08 that the corporation introduced mobile facilities under CUG plan for all its corporators and officials. During the then council meeting, a resolution also was passed that Rs 1500 to Rs 1800 per month will be given as mobile charges. It is also learnt that some of the corporators have also used the official phone to make international calls including to Dubai.
Speaking on behalf of Corporator Shamshad Begum of Ward No 47, her husband Arif Hussain said, “Through that mobile facility we can’t make international calls. I don’t know about the bill. Only through media I came to know that we have misused the facility which is far from truth. Let the authorities get the call details from BSNL. They will come to know to whom we have spoken. The allegation against us that we have made international calls is false. I have also told the corporation officials to cross check with BSNL officials whether there is any confusion in the bill.”
Jagadeesh, Commissioner, Mysuru City Corporation said “I will go through the council report and go through the what are the conditions put forth before giving the SIM cards to corporators and officials. Later if there is any irregularities it will be brought to the notice of government and based on their direction we will take action”.
It may be recalled that due to misuse of government facility, state government in its order on April 27, had directed all the corporation commissioners across the state to disconnect all the CUG cal facility given to the corporators.
