While Municipal Commissioner G R Aloria was not available for comments, senior VMC officers told Express Newsline that the long calls to the officers from councillors were proving to be expensive. ``Mobile phones are meant for short communications,'' the officers said, alleging that councillors refused to disconnect calls despite the officers' assurances that they would contacted them over conventional phones.

Of late, the administration has also been receiving complaints that officers were not responding to calls. One officer, meanwhile, claimed that the general public, too, was calling them up on the mobiles. The VMC had set a monthly limit of Rs 1,500 for each user, and warned that if the limit was overstepped, the user would have to pay the excess amount himself. Although the Corporation is yet to receive the first bills, the civic officers, in view of the number and duration of the calls, apprehend that the bills will far exceed the set figure.

Apart from the municipal commissioner, two deputy civic chiefs, the city engineer, the additional city engineer, executive engineers and ward officers, mobile sets were also given to the mayor, the deputy mayor and the standing committee chairman.

Sources claimed that only the civic chief, two deputies, the city engineer, the additional city engineer, the mayor, the deputy mayor and the standing committee chairman would continue to possess the phones.

While the administrative wing had initially proposed to buy 85 walkie-talkie sets for the officers, the Standing Committee cut it down to 10, and asked the VMC to purchase some mobiles as well. Later, the administration also directed the VMC to give mobiles to executive engineers and ward officers so that they were easily accessible. Officers said the withdrawal of the mobiles would not affect civic work as the staff already has 75 walkie-talkies.