The Congress owes MTNL about Rs 70 lakh against various numbers installed in the office during the past eight years. According to MTNL sources, the move to disconnect the telephones had the approval of Union Communication Minister Sushma Swaraj as the department was initially reluctant to target a political party.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's office telephone, however, has not been disconnected. The disconnected telephones belonged to party general secretaries R K Dhawan, Madhavrao Scindia, Tariq Anwar, Meira Kumar and Oscar Fernandes, party treasurer Ahmed Patel and Congress Centenary Committee convenor Ghulam Nabi Azad. Besides, two telephones installed inthe party's computer room have also been disconnected.

MTNL has also told the party that no new connection would be sanctioned unless the outstanding bills were cleared. This, MTNL sources said, has been done as the party got new connections in the past immediately after disconnection of the old lines and without clearing the arrears. In some cases, the ministry even wrote off a substantial amount and charged the party a partial amount on the ground that ``bills were exaggerated''.

Congress sources said the disconnection of telephones of the party's frontal organisations for non-payment is quite common but the party's general secretaries going without phones is not. Most of them are now using their private mobile phones even for office calls.

To tackle the financial crunch, Ahmed Patel and Oscar Fernandes who look after the party's finances, have ordered downsizing of expenses including the daily tea served to visitors in the general secretaries' rooms as well as snacks served during regular pressbriefings at the party office.