Thrissur: Public Works Department (PWD) has turned down the request of an Ernakulam native to marry for the second time. In the order, the department has noted that a government employee shouldn’t marry second time while his first wife was alive. Further, it said that engaging in more than one marriage contract at a time is violation of the moral code of conduct of a government employee.

A PWD officer and an Ernakulam native filed an application for a second marriage under Muslim Personal Law without divorcing his first wife. The order issued by the department was based on this.

The order said that laws were formulated by the legislature for a government employee with a purpose to observe discipline, trust and morality not only in his professional life but also in his personal life.

Although the Muslim Personal Law permits a man to marry more than one woman, the code of conduct for the government employees promulgated in 1960 demands special permission from government to engage in another marriage contract while the first wife is alive.

L P Preetha Kumari, Under Secretary of PWD told Mathrubhumi that the application was received last March and the order was issued adhering to the code of conduct for the government employees.