GUWAHATI, March 31 � The State government has spent over Rs 35 lakh on telephone bills of the Chief Minister, his ministerial colleagues and the Parliamentary Secretaries in the last few years.
This was stated in the Legislative Assembly by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rakibul Hussain today.
Hussain was replying to a question by AGP�s Phani Bhushan Choudhury on behalf of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who also holds the Administration portfolio.
The office telephone bills of Chief Minister and Ministers of Assam from 2011 to 2015 was Rs 10,03,714, while the bill of their residential telephones stood at Rs 21,21,600 during the period.
On the other hand, the telephone bills of Parliamentary Secretaries of Assam from 2012 to 2015 were Rs 4,56,475.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi�s office telephone bill in 2011-15 was Rs 85,189 and his residence telephone bill was Rs 4,07,467.
Among others, the telephone bills of Rockybul Hussain, Tanka Bahadur Rai and Akon Bora were high.
The office telephone bill of Hussain during this period was Rs 1,09,789 and his residence telephone bill was Rs 1,24,442.
Rai�s office telephone bill was Rs 69,834 and his residence telephone bill was Rs 9,28,454.
Bora�s office telephone bill was Rs 67,134, while his residence telephone bill was 1,03,117.
During 2011-15, the total telephone bill of IAS officers in the State was Rs 20,29,423, Hussain said in his reply.
