Kathmandu, December 11

The National Vilgilance Centre carried out a surprise inspection of 20 ministries in Singha Durbar and found as many as 66 civil servants not wearing the prescribed office uniform yesterday.

The NVC had deployed 10 inspection and monitoring teams to find if the civil servants were following the prescribed dress code. It said a joint secretary, 10 under secretaries, 15 section officers and 40 non-gazetted employees were found violating the dress code.

Five officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs, seven at the Ministry of Finance, six at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, three at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, two at the Ministry of Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation, seven at the Ministry of Energy, two at the Ministry of Irrigation, six at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, 13 at the Ministry of Education, 14 at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and one at the Ministry of Urban Development and the Ministry of Youth and Sports each were found violating the dress code.

However, all officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Ministry of General Administration, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, Ministry of Agricultural Development and Ministry of the Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation were found following the dress code.

NVC said it will write to the concerned ministries to initiate departmental action against the officials violating the dress code. The government has been providing Rs 7,500 each per annum to civil servants as uniform allowance.

The policy was introduced in 2012 to bring about uniformity in the dress of civil servants.

Male civil servants are required to wear daura suruwal, coat, Nepali cap and black leather shoes or dark blue suit with white shirt and tie while shirt and pant, saree-blouse or kurta salwar of dark blue color have been prescribed for women.

The dress may vary depending on climatic condition.