Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has issued an advisory on Friday to all its employees, directing them to dress formally or face disciplinary action.
Chief secretary V C Pharkha issued the advisory to all the departments. These orders follow the high court reprimand to a junior engineer, who appeared in the court in jeans and check shirt.
“The advisory and instructions should be followed in letter and spirit. It should be brought to the notice of every employee and should also be scrupulously followed in letter and spirit by all,” reads the advisory.
“An appropriate disciplinary action in the light of conduct rules or terms and conditions of the government employee, as the case may be, shall follow against the defaulter,” says the advisory. “The mannerisms, conduct and dress of a government servant should reflect a sense of decorum, decency, professionalism,” said an official of the department of personnel, according to a report by HT.
It was on July 17 that a division bench comprising Justice Tarlok Chauhan and Ajay Goyal made an observation on the importance of dressing style’s seriousness when the litigant appeared before the bench in jeans and a colourful check shirt.
“Government servant should be attired in appropriate, formal, clean, modest and decent clothes in sober colours, which should not look gaudy.” Casual and party attire should be strictly avoided during any appearance in courts and while attending office, advisory adds.