No jeans or colourful jackets for Vigilance Bureau staff

Jupinderjit Singh

Chandigarh, January 2

The Vigilance Bureau staff are not allowed to wear jeans, half-pants, half sleeves or any casual wear, including colourful jackets, in the office.

Fed up with the casual attire being worn in the office and court rooms, besides during raids, the Chief Director Vigilance Bureau, ADGP Varinder Kumar, has issued a first-ever dress code for the staff.

This follows several verbal warnings given to the staff for their casual dressing sense. The bureau has been in the limelight since the AAP government took over by opening several inquiries and registering corruption cases against former ministers and officers.

Unlike the police, the Vigilance staff have no specific uniform, nor a dress code like safari suits or coat-trousers worn by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or other central agencies.

As per the orders issued today for immediate implementation, the male staffers were asked to wear coats, pants, blazers and sweaters of sober colours. The colourful jackets are banned and a brown or black belt is mandatory.

For summers, the male staff and officials are directed to wear full-sleeves shirts with trousers or safari suits. Only brown and black shoes with socks can be worn.

No one is allowed to wear chappals and sandals to office unless there is a medical need to wear those.

The female staff are barred from wearing jeans, T-shirts, sports shoes and chappals to the office. They can wear suits, sarees, or formal shirts and trousers.

Each employee will have to carry their identity card in the office but it is not mandatory during operational assignments.

New dress code

• Male staff asked to wear coats, pants, blazers and sweaters of sober colours
• Colourful jackets are banned and a brown or black belt is to be worn mandatorily
• For summers, male staff directed to wear full-sleeve shirts with trousers/safari suits
• No one allowed to wear chappals, sandals unless medically needed; only brown/black shoes with socks can be worn
• Female staff barred from wearing jeans, t-shirts and sports shoes; to wear suits, sarees, or formal shirts/trousers