Udaipur water dept bans smart phones in office
REASON Decision aims to prevent employees from using social media, ensure smooth work
The Udaipur office of the water resource department has banned use of smart phones to prevent employees from using social media sites and ensure smooth work.
“All staff are directed that from August 8, 2017 the use of android phone, I-phone and windows phone is completely banned. Any employee, if found with such phones, will be considered on leave from office and necessary action will be taken,” said an order issued by the department’s executive engineer.
Visitors have also been asked to keep their phones outside the office premises; if they are found using such phones, they will be fined ₹500 that will be deposited at the treasury, said the order issued on August 4.
Only office phones will be used for communications, the order said.
Executive engineer Hemant Kumar Pandiya said, “It (the order) is an effort to keep social media away from office. I am not against social media but the step is aimed at maintaining office decorum. The office staff can keep normal phones and not smart phones.”
The move will improve quality of work, he said. “I had made office staff understand this and then released the order.”
On imposing penalty on visitors, he said, “Though it does not have any legality, the step has been taken to build up pressure, so that work does not get disturbed.”
Assistant chief engineer, Udaipur, Rajesh Kumar Tepan said, “I have not seen the order but social media, such as WhatsApp, contributes to speedy work. However, everything has its negative and positive aspects; if social media is misused, then necessary action can be taken.”