india

Updated: Nov 18, 2019 23:07 IST

Taking exception to junior officials in his office calling their superiors Bhai (brother), a senior Odisha government official has cautioned them from using the term as it violates conduct rules.

Director of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, Ratnakar Rout, in a letter to all joint directors, said any junior official in his department addressing seniors as Bhai would invite disciplinary action.

“Junior level officers of this directorate and in field offices are not maintaining office decorum in dealing with their superiors even in the presence of Higher Authority. For example, the technical officers are calling their senior officers ‘Bhai’ like SDVO/CDVO & Joint Director level-I. It is not proper on the part of any government servant to address their higher authority in this way, irrespective of whatever personal relation they may have among themselves during office hours or office premises. This not only violates the Odisha Government Servant Conduct Rules, 1959, but also amounts to insubordination,” said Rout in the letter.

He warned that stringent disciplinary action would be taken against defaulting officers under Odisha Government Servant Conduct Rules, if they failed to maintain office decorum.

“All concerned should be careful of maintaining official decorum in office premises and during duty hours in dealing with or addressing their superior officers henceforth. Any deviation in this matter will be viewed seriously and stringent disciplinary action as deemed proper will be initiated against the defaulting officer under Odisha Government Servant Conduct Rules,” Rout said.