No dhotis or bright sarees for Secretariat staff

The GO from Tamil Nadu state Chief Secretary, Girija Vaidyanathan, states that male employees should wear formal pants and formal shirts, while women employees have been asked to wear saree or churidar with dupatta, both in sober colours.

The government, which in the past- when J Jayalalithaa was Chief Minister - issued orders asking clubs to permit entry of guests wearing traditional dress including dhotis, is seemingly silent on such attire in its new order, when it has come for its employees.

As per the initial guidelines in the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Office Manual, government servants were not bound by any restrictions in the matter of dress and were at perfect liberty to wear, while on duty, whatever dress they liked, provided it was in conformity with the ideas of decency. But an amendment was added in 1996 which said that a male officer should wear a short buttoned up coat with full sleeves, along with trousers and if the officer preferred an open coat, he/she should invariably put on a tie as well and that the dress should be sober. As for a female officer, she should wear a saree and blouse or salwar kameez with dupatta of a sober colour.

“We believe that the order was based on complaints about youngsters wearing jeans, T shirts, leggings and tops. Those are not the right kind of dresses for office. But we would certainly fight if the government brings restriction on dhotis,” said Peter Anthonysamy, president, Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association.