Parliament security dept will no longer wear new outfits after staff complain material being synthetic & causing heat

The security department of the Parliament will now no longer don the new outfits, brought in by the government for the New Parliament building, after several security staff members complained that the material of the outfits were synthetic and causing heat. After an emergency meeting early Wednesday morning, a decision was taken to revert to the old navy blue safari suits.

The government had changed the outfits of the staff members in the table office, notice office and parliamentary reporting sections, as well as the security staff, with designs by the National Institute of Fashion Technology. The lotus motifs on the shirts of the officers of table, notice and parliamentary reporting sections had caused a furore among Opposition parties.

Members of the security staff were given military style camouflage clothing, instead of the navy blue safari suits they wore. However, after complaints from several staff members, a decision was taken to revert to the safari suits till further notice, said sources.

Secretariat employees, who used to wear bandhgalas, are now given magenta-coloured Nehru jackets, cream-coloured shirts with lotus motifs and khaki pants. Marshalls in the floor of the House were given Manipuri turbans.

Sources said that some members of the Lok Sabha complained about the change in the uniforms even after the transition to the new building. “Several members of the Lok Sabha have also raised objections on their seating arrangements since some have moved to the front while many have had to move back,” an official said.

The five-day session, which will conclude Friday, has seen the transition to the new building take place on Tuesday, and officials said that the nitty-gritties of the movement are still worked out. “Some of the work is still backended from the old building,” a staff member of a minister said.