Mayor seeks, gets quot;phone attendantquot;

Official sources said the move was in response to complaints that calls made by members of the public were not answered in the Mayor8217;s absence.

The proposal is to be discussed at the Standing Committee meeting on Thursday.

When contacted for her reaction, Vyas said there was a need for an attendant as she was out of her house for 12-odd hours. Also, her domestic help could not answer queries on specific issues, including where to get forms for the various schemes.

Asked how former mayors had dealt with the situation, she said she had not done a study; besides, she added, styles of functioning varies from person to person. Asked whether incurring expenses could have been avoided, Vyas said less money would be spent on the present post than on a full-timer.

Sources said the attendant had already begun working, but Vyas denied this while speaking to Express Newsline.