GG News Bureau
Lucknow, 22nd Nov. Lawmakers in Uttar Pradesh have raised concerns over the lack of protocol during their visits to government offices, with the latest grievance focusing on not being offered chairs draped in sparkling white towels, a practice routinely followed for officials.
According to a directive issued by J P Singh, the state’s principal secretary for parliamentary affairs, the complaints had piled up after a parliamentary monitoring committee meeting held on September 6. It was revealed that officials were being offered larger, “towelled” chairs, while visiting lawmakers were seated on regular chairs, or even ordinary ones, while officials sometimes sat on sofas.
Singh’s order, dated October 7, 2024, emphasized the need for officials to ensure that lawmakers are provided with chairs “befitting” their status. The new guidelines were issued to all senior officials, including the Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners, and District Magistrates. The directive underlined that lawmakers should always be ranked above officials, a principle reiterated in previous orders on protocol.
State Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh convened a video conference with subordinate officials to address these issues and ensure that the necessary protocol is followed. The order also lists specific seating arrangements for lawmakers during official events, asserting their superior status over government officials.
This directive follows a series of similar orders. Earlier this year, a detailed order by then Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra reiterated the seating protocol for elected representatives at government events. In February of the previous year, the Parliamentary Affairs Department also issued an order to ensure that all phone calls from lawmakers are responded to, with officials required to save lawmakers’ contact details for easy recognition.
The issue of protocol violations has been a recurring complaint, often made by opposition lawmakers, regardless of the ruling party. Former UP bureaucrat J S Mishra noted that, while towel-draped chairs are for functional reasons, if lawmakers demand them, it is best to comply.
Critics, however, argue that such protocol disputes often arise over trivial matters, with some lawmakers even complaining about being excluded from public events or having their names omitted from official plaques and advertisements.
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