The J&K administration has barred government employees from criticising or posting adverse comments on the government policies on social media platforms.
J&K Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta, in a recently held meeting, directed all the administrative secretaries in the Union Territory (UT) “to monitor the social media networks on a regular basis and identify the employees criticising and commenting adversely on the government policies and achievements etc. on the social media”.
Mr. Mehta has directed the officials “to issue notices to these employees under intimation to the General Administrative Department (GAD)“. The GAD is issuing necessary ‘Circular Instructions’ in this regard, an official communique said.
The J&K administration directions come amid the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in the UT. The drive evoked criticism from several sections of the society in J&K.
The L-G administration in April 2021, constituted a Special Task Force (STF) for identifying and scrutinising the government employees who were involved in any cases related to posing a threat to the country’s security or anti-national activities.
Around 50 employees, including senior officials, have been terminated from services in J&K in the past two years under Article 311(2)(C) of the Constitution of India, which does not require any departmental inquiry, and the administration can act on adverse reports filed by security agencies.
