Refrain From Media Briefing Without Permission, Odisha Govt Tells Employees

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday directed its employees to refrain from briefing the media without prior permission.

In a letter to the additional chief secretary, all secretaries, revenue divisional commissioners and district collectors, Principal Secretary to government, Sanjeev Chopra said that it has come to notice that despite specific regulatory provisions and instructions in the Odisha Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 1959, some government employees at times may have been making statements in the print, electronic and social media in violation of the code of conduct for government servants.

“Taking all this into consideration, it is reiterated that Rule 7 of the Odisha Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 1959, restricts government servants from indulging in any kind of communication or publication that bears criticism to the government or any foreign state and compromises the relation between the state and the Central government or any foreign state for that matter, unless specifically authorised,” said the letter.

It further said that the deviation of the conduct rules by government servants will be reviewed from time to time followed by appropriate disciplinary action.