CM Yogi Adityanath bans mobile phones during all UP govt meetings

Lucknow:  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has banned the use of mobile phones during all government meetings, including the state cabinet meetings.

According to reports, during a recent meeting of the state government officials, all the participants were asked to switch off their mobile phones and keep them outside the conference room.

Even the office assistants, who had come to collect the laptops of their seniors, were also asked not to enter the conference room with their mobile phones.

Now, UP government ministers and senior officials will have to deposit their phones at a designated counter and a token would be issued which could later be exchanged for their mobile phones.

According to a State Secretariat official, the UP CM wants all ministers and top officers to focus on issues that are discussed in the key meetings. 

They should not get distracted by their mobile phones, he said. 

In the recent meetings, some ministers were found to be busy reading chatting and reading messages on WhatsApp, which reportedly irked the Chief Minister after which a direction in this regard was issued by his office.

The decision also safeguards against the rising threat of cyber hacking and electronic espionage. 

Importantly, the UP government ministers were earlier allowed to bring mobile phones but had to keep them in silent mode.

In another important cabinet decision, the UP government has decided to issue press releases in Sanskrit along with Hindi, English and Urdu.

The move is aimed at promoting and popularising the use of Sanskrit language.

Importantly, the first press note in Sanskrit was issued by the state government's Information Department on Monday.