Govt officials should not be allowed to use mobile phones inside office for personal purpose: Madras High Court

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday took strong exception to government officials using their mobile phones in office for making personal phone calls or other purposes not related to their work [DS Radhika v. The State]..Justice SM Subramaniam remarked that using mobile phones by public servants during office hours has become normal, but it should never be allowed and amounts to grave misconduct."In all circumstances, the mobile phones must be either switched off or kept in vibration/silent mode, without causing any disturbance or nuisance to the public, who all are attending the office as well as the other officials working in the office," the Court emphasised. .The judge added that the government was duty-bound to ensure that the public servants do not wander with mobile phones inside office during work hours, and directed the State to issue appropriate instructions in this regard.It was the High Court's stand that necessary procedures should be put in place to regulate use of mobile phones, lest there be indiscipline at the workplace. .On the Additional Government Pleader's submission that many public servants use mobile phones and cameras in government offices, the Court expressed its strong disapproval. "If such indiscipline and misconduct are allowed to be continued, no doubt, they are committing a greatest sin to the public by getting tax payers' money as huge salary," the judge observed..Justice Subramaniam was hearing a plea seeking quashing of a suspension order issued against the petitioner, a government employee who resorted to violence when her mobile phone was taken away by the Workshop Superintendent to prevent her from taking videos. The Additional Government Pleader informed the Court that there were several allegations against the petitioner for her high-handedness with the other officials in the department.The High Court acknowledged that the allegations were serious in nature. It, however, left it to the competent authority to conduct a detailed inquiry based on the documents and evidence available and subsequently take a decision. The respondents were, thus, directed to conduct an enquiry, and conclude the same as expeditiously as possible..However, taking a larger view of the circumstances, the High Court directed the respondents to regulate mobile phone usage in official premises, and in the event of violation of instructions so formulated, directed that strict action must be initiated..The petition was listed on April 13 for reporting compliance. .Advocate D Sivaraman appeared for the petitioner. The respondents were represented by Additional Government Pleader N Satheesh Kumar and Advocate R R Kannan..[Read Order]