Maharashtra bars government employees from criticising its policies on social media

Scroll.in

10 hours ago

Maharashtra has barred government employees from criticising the policies of past or present governments in the state and at the Centre on social media, PTI quoted a new directive from the General Administration Department as saying on Monday.
The directive applies to all state government employees, including those on deputation, working on contract or recruited through external agencies.
The restrictions also extend to staff of local self-government bodies, corporations, boards and public sector undertakings.
The order instructs government staff to use social media 'consciously and responsibly', warning that violations will be treated as a breach of 1979 Maharashtra Civil Services Conduct Rules and will invite disciplinary action, PTI reported.
Employees have also been told to maintain separate social media accounts for personal and official use and avoid overlap between private opinions and official duties, The Indian Express reported.
The directive prohibits 'posting, sharing or forwarding of any objectionable, hateful, defamatory or discriminatory content'. It also bars employees from uploading or forwarding 'confidential or official documents', in part or whole, on any platform without authorisation.
'Only authorised personnel, and that too with prior approval from competent authorities, are permitted to disseminate or promote government schemes, programmes and initiatives via official digital channels,' the newspaper quoted the government resolution as saying.
The use of 'unofficial platforms' for outreach activities has also been barred. 'Messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram may be used for internal coordination and communication, but not for external outreach or unauthorised information sharing,' the order added.
The circular also prohibits employees from using social media for self-promotion.
'While employees are permitted to share updates about collective efforts or successful implementation of schemes, care must be taken to avoid any form of self-praise or individual glorification,' The Indian Express quoted the government resolution as saying.
Officials may highlight 'noteworthy government work, but the content must not be self-congratulatory in nature', it added.
On personal social media accounts, government staff have been told not to use 'government identity' markers. 'Apart from profile pictures, government designations, logos, uniforms, buildings, vehicles or any official property must not be featured in photos, videos or reels,' the directive said.
The officials are supposed to hand over the official social media account to their successor upon retirement or transfer.
Government employees have also been prohibited from using apps, websites or platforms that are banned by the state of the Centre, even in their personal capacity.