CHENNAI: Nurses and doctors associations have strongly condemned a new internal directive from the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine that prohibits all department employees from publicly criticising the central or state governments under the Tamil Nadu Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 1973.
The official communication circulated internally was issued by the Director of Public Health (DPH), Dr A Somasundaram, on Thursday. The circular stated that as per Rule 12, government employees should not publicly criticise the central or state governments, post negative memes, or share comments against government policies and actions.
The DPH in the circular stated that the employees should not make comments that would affect the “good relations” between the governments. They also should not participate in unofficial meetings where resolutions or speeches criticising the government are made.
If they fail to follow the directions, the circular said, disciplinary action will follow.
The official’s letter went viral, with many questioning the timing of stressing on such rules.
The Tamil Nadu Nurses Empowerment Association said the DPH has no right to take away the freedom of speech granted by the Constitution.
The association in a release, stated, “When jobs are not regularised, when employees are exploited, when the equal pay for equal work order of the Madras High Court has not been implemented, and when the union and state governments implement anti-people and anti-employee policies, and do not fill vacant posts in government institutions, and punish nurses, we will continue to oppose it. We will express our opinions on social media and discuss the issue in public through protests and demonstrations. We will question the government.”
Dr Somasundaram told TNIE that it is a routine circular.
“In any organisation, an employee is not allowed to make a comment against the organisation they are working in. If they want to make comments against it, they can leave the organisation and do so. The circular states only that,” the health department official added.