MCG plans ₹80K phones, official numbers ‘to boost councillor access’

Around 40 OnePlus devices may be distributed to elected and nominated members, with numbers made public for complaints and better coordination.

Published on: Mar 19, 2026, 08:05:07 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) may soon equip its councillors with premium segment smartphones and official SIM cards, said officials on Wednesday.

Residents question spending amid sanitation, infrastructure gaps; officials defend plan as part of Digital India push for accountability. (HT)

The civic body has floated a tender for procuring around 40 smartphones, with an estimated budget of approximately ₹32 lakh on March 16, officials told HT.

According to the proposal, each councillor will be provided with a smartphone costing nearly ₹80,000. The tender, seen by HT , specifies the procurement of OnePlus devices, which will be distributed among 36 elected councillors, along with the mayor, senior deputy mayor, deputy mayor and three nominated councillors, officials said.

Officials said the move is aimed at improving governance, real-time monitoring of development works through photography and enabling better use of government applications.

According to officials, each councillor will get an official SIM card with a government number. These numbers will be made public, allowing residents to directly contact their elected representatives to raise complaints and civic issues. “An official number will ensure a proper record-keeping of complaints and improve coordination between councillors and officials,” Ravinder Yadav, additional commissioner MCG said.

The initiative is part of a broader push by the civic body to strengthen ward-level governance, said officials. MCG had provided office spaces to councillors across wards. In areas where dedicated space was unavailable, offices have been set up in community centres and other government buildings. In some cases, facilities have also been developed at booster pumping stations.

Meanwhile, residents, civic groups and social activists have questioned the MCG’s decision to procure premium smartphones when the city continues to face challenges related to sanitation, infrastructure and basic civic services.

MCG officials said the initiative aligns with the government’s push for digital India. “The objective is to modernise governance and ensure faster response to citizen complaints. Technology-enabled monitoring will improve accountability and transparency,” an official said.

The tender process is currently underway, and the rollout is expected once procurement is finalised, officials said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More

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