After assuming the charge as the Commissioner-cum-Secretary in the Tourism and Culture Department on Tuesday, Arbinda Kumar Padhee said that chewing of pan and smoking in office premises create unhealthy and filthy environment affecting productivity in any organisation.
Pointing out that smoking in the public premises has since been made a punishable offence, he ordered that all the staff of his department and other establishments under the control of the department to refrain from taking any intoxicating materials.
As per law, any Government servant using any kind of intoxicants in office premises would attract provisions under Rule 24-A of the Odisha Government Servants (Conduct) Rules.
Dr Padhee also appealed to all officers and other staff in different establishments of his department to wear handloom fabrics and must do so on Fridays and to make correspondences in Odia language as far as practicable.