Maharashtra govt employees to say 'Vande Mataram' instead of 'hello' when answering phone calls in offices

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today announced the allocation of portfolios to newly appointed ministers in the state cabinet with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra bagging major roles and ministries.

TN National Desk

Updated Aug 14, 2022, 22:01 IST

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (R) and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis

Photo : ANI

Mumbai: All employees of the Maharashtra government will have to say 'Vande Mataram' instead of customary 'Hello' when answering phone calls in offices, said a state minister on Sunday.

While speaking to media, newly-appointed Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said, "We are entering the 76th year of Independence. We are celebrating Amrit Mahotsav (of Independence)."

"Hence I want officials to say 'Vande Mataram' over the phone instead of hello," he said, adding a formal government order will be out by August 18.

"I want all government officials in the state to say 'Vande Mataram' (while receiving phones) till January 26 next year," he added.

Meanwhile, after recent political turbulence and with 18 ministers taking oath recently in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today announced the allocation of portfolios to newly appointed ministers in the state cabinet with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra bagging major roles and ministries.

Shinde will look after general administration, urban development, Information and Public Relations, Public Works Department and several other major portfolios not allocated to other ministers.

Fadnavis will hold the portfolios of Home, Finance and Planning, Law and Justice, Water Resources and Command Area Development, Housing, Energy, Protocol.

Senior BJP leader Chandrakant Patil was allotted higher and technical education, textile industry and parliamentary work while Ravindra Chavhan was assigned ministry of Public Works (excluding Public Enterprises), Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection.

Other major departments that were allocated to BJP leaders included Girish Mahajan as chief of Village Development and Panchayati Raj development, Medical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare.

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