Lucknow June 1: A new counter with message ‘deposit your mobile phones here’, in tune with ‘keep your shoes here’ is likely to be set up soon in the state secretariat.It may be the first of its kind counter in the state.It may be the first its kind counter in the country as a whole as no report of existence of such a counter in any state is available so far.
The need for such a counter has arisen because chief  minister Yogi Adityanath believes that mobile phones are a source of distraction.They do not help you concentrate on the subject.Therefore,they have to be deposited at the counter before heading for cabinet and other official meetings and discussions.
He has a point. These phones often distract .There may be phone calls during the meeting or a message may be received during that period.They take your attention away.An officials said here on Saturday that  this was mainly behind his decision to impose a ban. Another was leakage of information.
Yogi had some time seen some ministers reading messages during cabinet and other meetings and this,too, was behind the move.
In the past,they were allowed to carry mobile phones but they had to be kept in aeroplane mode.In air travel,too, phones are either switched off or kept in this mode.
One report, however, said that this is not a new idea but borrowed one.This was in vogue in Delhi some time ago.Union ministers had to follow the same instruction.
