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Sindh govt high-ups allowed mobile phone facility

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The Sindh government has allowed the facility of cellular/mobile phones to the governor, chief secretary, inspector general of police, and the secretary to governor only, it was learnt on Wednesday.

The monthly expenditure on mobile phone inclusive of line rent, local/overseas calls and other charges have been fixed at Rs 4,000 per month. Any expenditure exceeding the ceiling would be borne by the officers concerned. Apart from the authorised officers, the others would be using the facility on their own expenses.

Any expenditure incurred from the public exchequer by unauthorised officers shall be considered as embezzlement.

The equipment procured through public sector funds shall be deposited and taken on asset register of the department concerned after an officer authorised to use mobile phone facility is transferred to a post/department not permitted to use the facility.

However, the authorised officers' expenditure on this account shall be borne by the department concerned through its existing budget allocation and no supplementary grant/re-appropriation will be allowed for this purpose.

The Cabinet Division in consultation with the National Telecommunication Corporation will arrange the most economical package from one of the cellular companies operating in Pakistan. Once the package is approved, it would be circulated for information of the officers concerned.