Use Mobiles At Work Only If Necessary: Maharashtra Tells State Employees

Indiscriminate use of mobile phones in office maligns the government's image, an official order said, without any reference to the Pegasus spyware.

The Maharashtra government on Friday asked its employees to restrict the use of mobile phones to a minimum during office hours, saying that landlines are more preferable amid the Pegasus snooping scandal. An order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) said mobile phones should be used only if necessary for official work. Indiscriminate use of mobile phones in office maligns the government's image, the order said, without any reference to the spyware developed by an Israeli firm. The order encouraged communications through text messages in cases mobile phones are to be used at all, adding that conversation through these devices should be as little as possible.