Gagging the press, govt style

Amitabh Shukla

New Delhi, November 16

In an age where Right to Information Act has brought a new transparency in the style of governance, the Delhi government wants to set the clock in the reverse motion. It has issued a circular banning the “leakage of confidential information”.

The circular, issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) last week, said that the Cabinet proposals are publicised even before they are passed. “The confidentiality of the Cabinet proposals should be ensured,” the note to all the Heads of Departments and Principal Secretaries to the government said.

The note was issued following the directions of Chief Secretary R. Narayanaswami who was upset at the way the Cabinet notes were being published in the newspapers even before being officially passed. The GAD circular, dated November 11, 2007 which too has been marked “confidential” and is not supposed to be with any “unauthorised person” is in possession of HT. It specifically says: “It is reiterated that all Cabinet proposals should be dealt with in strict confidentiality and secrecy”.

Interestingly, most of the issues which are taken up by the Delhi Cabinet are known to the media and through them the people as they are announced in advance by the ministers or the Chief Ministers. There are very few issues which are “fresh” in the Cabinet meetings, said a senior official of the government.

Some of last week’s announcement, construction of a over 500 bed hospital in Dwarka, giving money to the MCD for the construction of railway underbridges and phasing out of the Blueline buses were published long time ago. “We fail to understand how this information could be secret and barred,” the official explained.

Another senior IAS official, who is all for debate on crucial issues before being passed by the Cabinet, said that by publishing the Cabinet proposals in advance, the media initiates a healthy debate on a public issue. “In the Cabinet, 7 ministers pass a proposal on half baked Cabinet notes which do not even have complete information,” he added.

The latest circular of the GAD has become a butt of joke in the Players’ Building, the headquarters of the Delhi government. “I am passing you a confidential document,” said a smiling official, who handed over the GAD note to HT. (2007)