The Bihar government has directed its secretariat employees to avoid wearing casuals like jeans and T-shirts with immediate effect to uphold “office culture and decorum.” They have been asked to come to work in formal clothes of sober colour.
An order was issued to this effect by Additional Secretary of the General Administration Department (GAD) Shiv Mahadeo Prasad on August 28. However, it is not clear whether it is meant only for employees of the GAD or the entire secretariat staff.
“The order issued by GAD usually means for all secretariat employees…we all have to comply with this order,” said Suman Kumar, a Secretariat staffer.
Earlier in 2007, then Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Chowdhary had issued a circular on dress code for government employees saying “loud, gaudy colours must be avoided.” That order had also listed formal wear for both men and women employees for both summer and winter.
In 2018 then Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh issued a circular asking government employees to wear khadi clothes at least twice a week to promote the national fabric.
“Such orders come from time to time but not being followed or implemented in spirit…unless some hard rule comes into effect, a dress code for Secretariat staff in Patna is not possible”, said an employee retiring next June.
