Mamata tries to muffle media

NEW DELHI: Apparently upset over media reports regarding various decisions of Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and her differences with the bureaucracy, the ministry is trying to muffle the media. This is in sharp contrast to the BJP-led government''s proclaimed commitment to enacting a right-to-information law. According to sources, a circular was issued on Monday to all officers in the railway ministry reminding them that under Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act of 1923 they are liable to imprisonment up to three years or a fine or both if they ``unauthorisedly'''' part with information.Also, the Railway Board chairman has been directed to write to the home secretary demanding a CBI inquiry into the alleged leakage of certain file notings to the media, the sources said. Asked whether these acts do not amount to an attack on the freedom of the press, an official spokesman said ``no comments''''. He said he was not aware of any CBI inquiry. The circular expresses concern over information from official files being ``leaked to unauthorised persons, including media representatives''''. It tells officers to maintain ``secrecy and confidentiality'''' of the information contained in official files and deliberations made in official discussions and meetings. It adds that maintaining secrecy assumes further significance as budget proposals are under consideration. The circular cites Rule 11 of the Railway Services (Conduct) Rules of 1966 which prohibits railway servants from communicating information. The Times of India gave a questionnaire to the ministry posing the following questions: (i) Is the circular not anti-democratic? (ii) What was there in the media reports that needed to be hidden from the public? and (iii) Having protested all along against the Left rule in West Bengal, is Ms Banerjee not trying to control information flow Stalin-style? The answer of the official spokesman to all these questions was ``no comments''''.