Yogi govt withdraws decision to post women as PS to ministers

Lucknow, March 29 (IANS) The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has withdrawn its decision to post women employees as private secretaries (PS), assistant PS, review officers (RO), and assistant ROs with the newly-appointed ministers.

The decision to recall women employees from these posts comes after protests from women employees who said they were "uncomfortable" working at odd hours as personal secretaries to ministers and also travelling with them.

The Chief Minister had earlier approved a new system where the selection of the staff had been digitised and ministers were asked to choose from a list of candidates randomly sorted through a computer lottery undertaken by the Secretariat Administration Department.

Also, no support staff which had worked with any minister in the past five years was retained in the new list.

This step was taken to increase participation of women in governance and general administrative work, with 20 per cent planned to be deputed as PS, assistant PS, ROs, and assistant ROs with the new ministers.

This decision had already made several ministers uncomfortable since they are not used to working with women staff because of "practical reasons" like "late night working and travelling".