In this day and age, where social media and instant messaging platforms are being efficiently used for disseminating information, an anachronistic government order by the Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy ’s office was overruled by the Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on Thursday.
The circular, which also goes against the idea of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India initiative, prohibited the use of social media for official communication between bureaucrats.
The circular said the usage of such platforms was hence in violation of The Officials Secret Act and also contrary to the guidelines issued by the Information Technology Ministry.
Soon after the CM’s circular, Bedi issued a circular nullifying the CM’s circular stating that “progressive UTs cannot be in retrograde communications”.
If Puducherry has to be a progressive UT it cannot be retrograde in communications. Hence @CM_Puducherry's order stands cancelled:@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/26RzCcuJIM
— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) January 5, 2017
This incident is reminiscent of the tussle between the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and ex-Delhi LG Najeeb Jung.
The CM’s circular was issued after a Puducherry Civil Service cadre officer was suspended by Bedi for allegedly posting an objectional video on a WhatsApp group, she had created. The Lt. Governor had formed the Whatsapp group to pass on instructions to officials.