Punjab: CM scraps Fazilka DC's order imposing dress code on employees

Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday scrapped orders of Deputy Commissioner, Fazilka, Manpreet Singh Chhatwal, imposing a dress code on employees.

A statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said: "Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday night scrapped the orders of Deputy Commissioner, Fazilka, imposing a dress code on employees. Captain Amarinder Singh has directed the Deputy Commissioner to forward the request to state government for further action, as deemed necessary."

The Deputy Commissioner had reportedly issued the orders on a written request by the employees' union which had sought a formal dress code as they found casual dress unkempt.

Any decision on the matter would be taken after due consideration of all relevant aspects of the issue, the CMO said.

"Imposition of a dress code in a government office did not, on the face of it, appear to be a feasible option. Other ways could be explored to ensure office decorum," the Chief Minister was quoted as saying.

"The state government did not have any dress code in place for its employees and hence, it was not reasonable to expect employees in one district office to follow any such code," Singh said according to the CMO statement.

As per the DC's orders, male employees would have been required to abstain from wearing T-shirts and female employees would have been required to mandatorily wear 'dupattas' with effect from July 29. Violation of the dress code would have invited action, according to the orders.