Lt governor nullifies Puducherry CM's order banning official communication on social media

This order comes after the chief minister acted against the lieutenant governor’s favourite modes of communication with officials through WhatsApp groups.
Puducherry's Lt governor Kiran Bedi (File | PTI)
Puducherry's Lt governor Kiran Bedi (File | PTI)

PUDUCHERRY: The turf war between lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi and chief minister V Narayanasamy is becoming more intense with the former cancelling the chief minister’s order banning official communication on social media.

In her order issued through the lieutenant governor’s secretariat on Thursday, she declared the circular dated Jan 2, 2017 of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (Personnel Wing with the subject, “Public Services- use of social media –Instruction issued”) as null and void with immediate effect. The circular has been issued in contravention of guidelines, rules and policies in force, she stated.

“If Puducherry has to be a progressive UT it cannot be retrograde in communications”, observed Bedi in her twitter posting. She posted the order issued by her as well as the order issued by the chief minister, on twitter and tagged the PMO office.

This exertion of authority by the lieutenant governor comes after the chief minister acted against the lieutenant governor’s favourite modes of communication with the officials through various Whatsapp groups.  

Reportedly, Narayanasamy was opposed to the directions issued to government officials through the social media as it bypassed the official hierarchy. On several occasions, the chief minister or the concerned minister had no knowledge of the order issued.

He even raised the matter with the bureaucracy at chief secretariat a few months back, but the bureaucracy sat on the fence as they were confused on whose order they should take.

Now after the bureaucracy were perturbed with the mode of  handling of the case involving Senior PCS officer A S Sivakumar for posting pornographic video on a WhatsApp  group of the lieutenant governor, they approached chief minister for help.

Finding this as an opportunity to get rid of social media communication and  draw the bureaucracy on to his side, he obliged by issuing the order directing all government officers, officials and employees of societies, organisations run by government to desist from use of social media for official work. The order was justified by citing Violation of Official Secrets Act and also against the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India. Since the servers of these social media are based outside the country, foreign country can access the confidential communications and documents uploaded, it stated.

The order also stated that no groups should be formed on social media for official communication and the officials should not be members of any such groups. They were also directed to not interact with seniors bypassing the administrative hierarchy and routine official channel. The order cautioned officials that violation of the order would mean disciplinary action. As a consequence, all officials right from chief secretary had exited from the official Whatsapp groups of the Lieutenant governor.

Faced with revolt from the administration, the lieutenant governor rushed to New Delhi, called on Union home minister Rajnath Singh and minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju. It is speculated that after discussing the issue with them and minister for information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday, she issued orders nullifying the chief minister’s order.

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