Public servants using mobile phones during office hours has become the norm nowadays, observed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court while directing the State government to frame regulations for the usage of mobile phones and cameras inside office premises during office hours.
Justice S.M. Subramaniam observed that using mobile phones and taking videos inside the office was a grave misconduct. Officials working in government departments should not be allowed to use mobile phones inside the office for personal reasons. In case of an emergency, proper permission should be obtained from superiors to attend the calls.
The judge said in all circumstances, the mobile phones should be either switched off or kept in vibration/silent mode, without causing any disturbance or nuisance to other employees and the public visiting the offices. This should be the minimum discipline to be followed in government offices.
Mr. Subramaniam added that such allegations of using mobile cameras inside the office very frequently was causing disturbances, and no doubt would disrupt the functioning of public offices. Therefore, the State government should take serious note of this and issue appropriate circular/instructions to all the government offices to ensure that mobile phones were stored in a common cloakroom during office hours. For emergency calls, official numbers could be utilised, the judge said.
The judge said necessary procedures would be contemplated for regulating the usage of mobile phones in government offices, failing which would result in indiscipline at the workplace.
The court was hearing a petition filed by D.S. Radhika, a government employee from Tiruchi. She challenged the suspension order that was placed on her for frequently using mobile phone during office hours and shooting videos of coworkers. The court disposed of the petition by directing the authorities to conduct an inquiry and conclude the same as expeditiously as possible.
