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Chandigarh MC to recover cost of iPhone X from former mayor Rajesh Kalia
The civic body had paid ₹80,000 for Kalia’s mobile phone during his mayoral tenure last year
A month after former mayor Rajesh Kumar Kalia left office, the municipal corporation (MC) has started the process to recover 80% cost of the Apple iPhone X that he had bought during his tenure.
As per municipal rules, a mayor is entitled to buy a mobile phone of any cost during his or her tenure. But once they demit the office, they are required to pay back the handset’s cost after deducting 20% depreciation, if the recovery is within three years.
Following an objection by the local audit department in 2017, the option to return the handset was removed.
Meanwhile, MC’s IT wing has processed the file to recover the handset cost from Kalia.
An MC official said the civic body paid ₹80,000 for Kalia’s mobile phone. After 20% depreciation, he will be asked to pay back ₹64,000. “A notice regarding this will be issued next week with a two-week recovery deadline,” he added.
On his part, Kalia said once he received the recovery notice, he will pay back the amount.
MALIK SAYS NO TO MOBILE FROM MC FUNDS
Meanwhile, new mayor Raj Bala Malik has refused to buy a mobile phone from municipal funds. She said though she was entitled to one, she did not want to use public money for her personal use. “My Apple iPhone XI is arriving from abroad soon. I will use that,” she said.
