Dainik Nation News Portal
DAINIK NATION BUREAU
Following on the media report that government has imposed ban on the entry of media into secretariat, chief secretary has clarified that he has issued the directive to ensure dissemination of authentic information to media.
The Uttarakhand Government has banned the entry of outsiders directly into government offices at the Secretariat. Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh clarifies that he has issued the directive to ensure authentic information should reach to the media.
The order was issued in view of the fact that the agenda of Cabinet meetings on several occasions in the recent past was leaked to the media, officials said.
“Our effort is to give you authentic information based on facts. That is why we are putting in place a system where only verified information is shared with you by officials authorised for the purpose on a regular basis,” he said.
It was not an attempt to withhold information from the media or to reduce systemic transparency, he added.
The order states that outsiders cannot directly make an entry into government offices at the state Secretariat. In case of an urgency, they can meet the employee or the official concerned at the reception, it says. The departments have been asked to take steps at their level to ensure this.
However, members of the media felt the order was meant to deny them direct access to information by a government which claims total transparency in governance and zero tolerance to corruption.
