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Elsewhere, through ’’slut walks’’ women are asserting their right to dress as they want, but in Haryana, the government has mandated its employees to wear ’’decent’’ clothes at work.

The state department of women and child issued an order two weeks ago, observing that the employees had been coming to office in “jeans/t-shirts/western clothes”  which they said “not only looks awkward, but are also in contravention of the government rules.”

“Therefore, all the officials at the headquarters (Panchkula), including field in the Integrated Development Scheme (ICDS) and Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) are advised to wear decent clothes in office, that is saree/salwar kameez with dupatta by women and shirts and trousers by males,” the order issued on April 18 by an officer of the department on behalf Director Renu Phulia, said.

“These orders are to be complied with strictly with immediate effect, failing which it will be viewed seriously. All branch officers may also ensure that the officials working under their control also comply with these orders strictly,” the order said.

The order led to an uproar among the employees. One of them commented: “Decent clothes cannot be defined as saree, salwar kameez with dupatta and pants and shirt only. Kindly state which government rule states that.”

Defending the orders, Haryana’s minister for social justice and empowerment, women and child development minister Geeta Bhukkal said an unnecessary controversy should not be created.

“Every department has a dress code. Even our anganwari workers have a salwar-kameez and a dupatta as a dress code. I think some people seem to have objected to the use of word decent in the order,” Bhukkal said on Wednesday. She offered to replace the word ‘decent’ in the word with ‘formal’.

She said under the ICDS and ICPS, the female staff of the Department is also required to interact with pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Bhukkal said there was dress code even for the Judges, lawyers, doctors, private schools, ITIs and polytechnics.

She said, likewise the issue of dress code for ICDS and ICPS should not be made controversial.

“If anyone is hurt, we can rethink (referring to the order),” she said.