Panaji, March 24 (IANS): The Goa government's department of art and culture has banned its staffers from wearing sleeveless clothes, multi-pocket pants and jeans, the state legislative assembly was told on Tuesday.

In his reply tabled during the budget session, Minister for Art and Culture Dayanand Mandrekar said that the instructions have been issued by the department's director so that "decorum" could be maintained in office premises.

"It is once against instructed that employees shall wear only formal dress and not wear jeans, corduroy, T-shirts, trousers with multiple pockets, sleeveless dresses, etc during office hours and official functions of the Directorate," art and culture director Prasad Lolayekar has said in the inter-office memo which has been attached as an annexure with the tabled answer.

The order also nominates the department's deputy directors to keep vigil against violation of the dress code.

A few weeks back, several cabinet ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led coalition government had demanded a ban on revealing clothing in Goa, claiming such dresses were against Indian culture.