Senior ministers of the ruling NDA in Bihar, including Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, have often spoken in favour of a pro-active and sensitive bureaucracy to bridge the gap between the people and the administration to deliver the promised good governance by the Nitish regime.
They also refer to those golden days of 1960-70s when bureaucrats from Bihar were regarded as the best in the country. After a close monitoring of their performance on various counts under the new regime, bureaucrats in Bihar are faced with a unique problem.
There is a new circular on their dress code.
The directive followed a recent rebuke by the Patna High Court to two Bihar administrative service officers who were slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 each for wearing check shirt and bright T-shirt in violation of the dress code meant for them.
Justice S. K. Katariyar had imposed the penalty on additional collector of Munger R. N. Chaudhary and executive magistrate N. K. Singh, who had appeared before him in a contempt of court case. He had asked the chief secretary to ensure early realisation of the fine on August 7.
This apparently forced the chief secretary A. K.Chaudhury to issue a directive to all civil servants barring them from wearing trendy denims, T-shirts and other unusual dress in the office.
Instead, while the men bureaucrats have been asked to wear shirts, Bush-shirts and trousers in lighter shades, preferably grey or white, the women civil servants can wear conventional sari or salwar kameez with a dupatta thrown across, in plain and non-garish shades.
The Nitish government has no objection if some "babus" even opt for the traditional dhoti-kurta, the staple dress of the rural folk in the Hindi heartland.
Source:Tribune,27 Aug,2007
