In an apparent attempt to restrict movement of media persons in the corridors of power, the State Government has banned their entry into offices of State secretariat. In the order, the Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh has expressed concern that many times the issues which are slated to be tabled before the State Cabinet get published beforehand in newspapers and electronic media.
Terming it as a gross violation of official secrecy, the CS said that the cabinet has expressed grave objection on the issue. In the order, the CS has directed that the documents pertaining to the cabinet meetings should be forwarded in sealed envelopes only.
Giving reference of relevant sections of Uttar Pradesh Secretariat manual (applicable in Uttarakhand) the order says that the officers concerned would himself open the letters directed to him. Similarly the letters forwarded to the Minsters would be opened by only their personal secretaries. Section 69 of the secretariat manual says that it is responsibility of the section officers that no outsider is present in their section, the order reminds.
The CS has said that officials should refrain from discussing the cabinet issues and utmost care should be taken in dispatching and transfer of documents so that their contents are kept secret.
However, the content of the order which the media persons are finding objectionable is regarding complete ban on their entry along with other outsiders in the sections of departments.
The CS has ordered that in instances where some issue or issues comes out in media before their being put before cabinet, the Addl secretary/ principal secretary/ secretary concerned would conduct an investigation and identify the culprit for the leakage.