Bihar minister wants officers who leak information to media punished

Patna: Bihar Education Minister Chandra Shekhar has lashed out at his department's officers for leaking classified information to the media and wants the erring "Robinhoods" punished.

In a message to his department's additional chief secretary (ACS), the minister’s office wrote that official letters and communications are leaked to the press even before they reach his office.

"The minister has expressed his displeasure over the recent developments in which it has been noticed that lots of negative news related to the department are coming in the media. Official letters and departmental communications are leaked to the media even before they reach the minister's cell. This is against the rules and the department must identify such officials and take disciplinary action," states the July 1 letter by the minister’s personal secretary to the department’s ACS.

"It has also been observed by the minister that officials are frequently using certain terms, some of which are objectionable, while interacting with each other during office hours. Even issues related to the department that are discussed in closed-door meetings are also leaked to the media. These acts of public servants are highly uncalled for. It may tarnish the image of the department as well as the government. Indulging in such activities by public servants is against the Bihar Government Servant Conduct Rules, 1976," says the letter, a copy of which is with the PTI.

"Instead of deliberately leaking news to the media for some vested interests, designated officials of the department should share it through the Information and Public Relations Department (IPRD) of the state government. The work of the IPRD department is to disseminate and propagate government policies, programmes, schemes and achievements, effectively for public awareness," the letter said.

"Public servants must follow the ‘Principle of Anonymity’. Civil servants are not held directly responsible for any success or failure of the policy of the government. After all, the minister concerned is responsible for the ‘omission and commission’ of public servants who work under him or her. Therefore, public servants must remain neutral and work from behind the curtain,” the letter said.

Despite repeated attempts, Shekhar was not available for his comments.