The West Bengal government has issued a fresh notification restricting state government employees from participating in media activities and sharing official information. The Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department issued the notification on Wednesday night, signed by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal. According to the order, the restrictions are based on provisions under the All India Services Conduct Rules, 1968, the West Bengal Service Rules, 1980, and the West Bengal Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1959. The circular has been circulated to all departments, divisional commissioners, district magistrates, the Director General and Inspector General of Police, and the Kolkata Police Commissioner for necessary action.
The notification prohibits employees from participating in privately produced media programmes or Centre-sponsored media events without prior sanction from the state government. Government employees have been barred from editing or managing newspapers and publications, participating in radio broadcasts, or writing articles and letters for newspapers and magazines without prior approval. The circular also restricts direct or indirect sharing of official documents or information with the media without authorisation. Additionally, employees have been prohibited from making adverse comments about policies or decisions of either the Centre or the state government through speeches, publications, broadcasts, or media interactions.
The directives apply to IAS, WBCS, and WBPS officers serving under the state government, along with employees of correctional services, state-aided educational institutions, municipalities, municipal corporations, boards, and autonomous bodies. Following discussions over the scope of the directive, the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department issued a memorandum clarifying that the provisions would apply to employees of the state government, boards, corporations, undertakings and other parastatal bodies functioning under the administrative control of the government. The circular also noted that it applies to employees of the state government, autonomous bodies, boards, corporations, undertakings, educational institutions substantially funded by the government and members of the All India Services that are part of state government affairs.
Abhishek Banerjee criticised the move, calling it an attempt to "enforce silence" among government employees. In a statement, Banerjee alleged the circular was aimed at curtailing free expression and "systematically choking fundamental rights" to ensure obedience to the BJP leadership. The state government faced criticism which prompted it to tweak the controversial circular on Thursday and drop apparently the educational institutions from the list of officials and staff. Another senior official said the clarification was issued to remove ambiguity regarding the categories of employees covered under the directive.
