North Block seems to have finally been smitten by the technology bug. The finance ministry, in a diktat to all public sector banks, has sought laptops and cell phones for its nominee directors.

While laptops have been given to all directors, mobile phones are meant for only government nominees. The directive is aimed at better facilitating board functions.

Even though the ministry is silent on who will foot the mobile bill, banks are picking up the tab.

"When the bank is giving the phone, it is only natural that it pays the bill," quipped a bank chairman.

Banks' experience with offering laptops to all directors has not been very pleasant as some directors want to upgrade to improved versions every six months.

The once-bitten-twice-shy banks are thus not taking any chances with mobile phones: most of them are buying the cell phone only after checking out the preference of their directors.

That most directors have more than one mobile phone is a different story altogether.

Some bankers feel there is nothing wrong in offering these facilities to government nominees as after all they are not paid sitting fees for board meetings.

They fly executive class and are put in five-star hotels but are not paid any fees.

In contrast, other directors get Rs 1,000 as sitting fee for each board meeting. Normally once a month a board meeting is held.

They also get Rs 500 for attending management committee and audit committee meetings.

Normally, an audit committee has six meetings a year where management committee has 12 meetings.

However, both the committees are small in size and all directors are not members of these committees.

Despite all these, directors on public bank boards are a poorer lot when compared with their counterparts in the private sector.

The sitting fee for directors on boards of private companies can be as high as Rs 50,000 per meeting.