Cell phones will soon become more than a communication device for residents of south Indian city Bangalore, popularly known as 'Silicon Valley' of the country.

Bangaloreans will be able to pay their utility bills and avail several citizen services with the help of their cell phones, if everything goes as planned, government sources said.

A draft policy on mobile platform is ready and would be studied by the core group on e-governance which would finalise it, Karnataka IT, BT, Science and Technology and e-Governance Secretary, M N Vidyashankar said.

"Whatever services you are today getting through (state-run) Bangalore One (citizen service centres), we will be able to launch these services on mobile platform", he told PTI here.

"All applications currently running on Bangalore One, it will be enabled on mobile phone", he said.

Lakhs of residents pay their bills such as water, electricity and telephone and avail various services at 79 B1 centres in the city every day. The proposed cell phone project would be grate relief for them, he said.

The project would be taken to the approval of state cabinet after the core group comprising those from the industry and government experts clears the policy, sources said.