New Delhi: Ina move drawing both administrative focus and political fire, the Delhi Government has initiated a significant revision in mobile-related perks for top officials as well as Ministers, including the Chief Minister.

Under the updated guidelines being implemented by the General Administration Department (GAD), Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will now be entitled to purchase a mobile phone worth up to ₹1.5 lakh using government funds, while her cabinet ministers can buy handsets costing up to ₹1.25 lakh.

The revision comes as part of a move to update a decade-old circular originally issued in 2013, which had capped the Chief Minister’s mobile phone purchase limit at ₹50,000 and that of ministers at ₹45,000. The newly revised policy is set to provide modern communication tools to senior officials and ensure “functional efficiency.”

Notably, officials such as the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary, and Principal Secretaries will now be eligible to purchase phones ranging between ₹80,000 and ₹1 lakh, up from the earlier ceiling of ₹30,000 to ₹40,000. Even ministerial secretaries and other senior staff will now be allowed handsets worth up to ₹50,000.

While the government will reimburse the cost of the handset, SIM cards will not be provided. Officials, including the Chief Minister and ministers, are free to use their personal numbers on these phones.

According to the office memorandum issued by Joint Secretary Pradeep Tayal, the updated guidelines also clarify that a mobile phone purchased under this scheme cannot normally be replaced for two years. However, an exception is allowed if repair costs exceed 50% of the device’s original cost, in which case, a replacement may be considered.

Apart from the handset cost, monthly mobile bill reimbursements have also been restructured. The Chief Minister will now be eligible for up to ₹7,000 per month for mobile usage, while ministers and the Chief Secretary can claim up to ₹6,000. Principal Secretaries and Secretaries are allowed up to ₹5,000 and ₹2,500 respectively, while Additional Secretaries and Private Secretaries to CM are allowed ₹1,500 and ₹5,000 respectively. These figures mark a notable revision from the earlier structure, where reimbursement limits were lower and categorized less expansively.

The announcement has stirred political controversy. Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj took to Instagram to sharply criticize the BJP-led administration. “Congratulations to the CM and ministers of Delhi BJP. A ₹1.5/1.25 lakh phone plan and unlimited bills, development is surely happening, at least for someone,” he posted sarcastically.

Bharadwaj’s comments underscored a range of public frustrations, including severe waterlogging, prolonged traffic jams, cuts in widow pensions, and the unfulfilled promise of a ₹2,500 monthly allowance for women. “Not a single woman has received the ₹2,500 even months after March 8,” he remarked. “Committees were formed, promises made, but in the end, it’s the phones that got approved.”

While officials defend the mobile upgrade policy as a modernization step, critics argue that it sends the wrong message when key public needs remain unaddressed.