Non-gazetted staff upset at being left out Yoga Day celebrations

If many a gazetted officer is not too pleased at being dragged out of bed on a Sunday at the crack of dawn to participate in the International Yoga Day celebrations, there are several non-gazetted staff members upset at being left out.

Sources at the Lok Sabha Secretariat said that a major chunk of its non-gazetted staff, an estimated 2,000 personnel, is miffed at the “elitist approach” to the event, as only senior officials were extended the official invitation for the Yoga Shivir in Parliament House.

According to a circular issued by the Welfare Branch of the Lok Sabha Secretariat on June 12, which has been accessed by

The Hindu , only officers of the grade of Under Secretary, equivalent ranks and above have been asked to join the Shivir to “avail themselves of the benefits of Yoga.” Officials at lower ranks were asked to provide their personal details “separately” so that arrangements could be made for accommodating them.

Non-gazetted staff said that such segregation runs contrary to the “come one, come all” message of the advertisement blitzkrieg launched by the government, inviting people to join the celebrations at Rajpath on Sunday. Even in the case of the Rajpath mega-event, only officers of a certain rank and above have been invited, and the reason cited for such a rank-based selection is that the stretch can only accommodate a limited number.

Officials involved in planning the entire celebrations across the country said the government had made arrangements for yoga training sessions for all Central government employees and their families free-of-cost at Grih Kalyan Kendra Samaj Sadans.