Media ban row: Uttarakhand government backtracks, CM says no restriction on entry of journos in secretariat

DEHRADUN: Barely a couple of days after a government order which restricted the movement of mediapersons inside the secretariat on grounds of “keeping cabinet matters confidential” created a furore, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, facing unprecedented criticism from all quarters, including the Press Council of India, eminent citizens, activists and journalists, said on Saturday that the “question of a ban was never there.” The CM and chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh — who had sent a three-page letter to IAS officers asking them to ensure that “entry of outsiders and mediapersons is restricted in your departments” — were at pains to clarify that there was no ban on the entry of reporters in the secretariat premises and that journos could meet IAS officers with prior appointment.
In an informal interaction with mediapersons, CM Rawat said, “The question of banning the entry of media in the secretariat has never been there. Our intention has always been to make things systematic by providing authentic news through the right channel.” He added that a new media centre is being constructed in the secretariat and was likely to be “inaugurated in a week or two.” “When we are creating a media centre in the secretariat, how can we be simultaneously banning entry of media? Our only concern is that unsubstantiated news often gets published raising a question mark over the credibility of the media as well as the government. We do not want such a situation to arise, therefore our endeavour was to provide details to mediapersons through authorised channels,” the CM said.
The chief secretary added that “there has been no instance of a journalist being stopped from entering the secretariat.” “The order was issued only to keep cabinet agenda confidential as it is a constitutional provision,” he said.
However, several senior journalists said that the state government’s clarification “didn’t amount to much.” “What is the point in going to the secretariat if journalists are not allowed to go to the sections (where junior officials sit who are the source of information for many journos) and we have to wait for IAS officials to give us an appointment?” said a veteran mediaperson who did not wish to be identified.
Dehradun-based political analyst Jay Singh Rawat said that “the state government needs to act against people who were leaking confidential matters to reporters rather than targeting the media.” “If the state government wants to keep cabinet matters confidential, it needs to look for other ways to do so rather than placing curbs on the media,” he added.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Uttaranchal Press Club led by its president Bhupendra Kandari met CM Rawat late night on Saturday to press for unrestricted access of media to officials.