IAS Promotion Scam
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 25, 2013 -
It's an open secret how media in Manipur has been functioning under the most trying conditions with undue pressures from all directions.
Apart from various UG groups and social organizations that are throwing their weight around to exert pressure on media houses for carrying their press statements, regardless of the contents which are anything but news worthy; the relation between media and Government agencies in Manipur has not been an enviable one either with the latter wielding the sword of censorship against anything printed which are not in their favour.
This is despite the fact that every Minister or Government official have been harping over the important role of media in a democratic society as an informative bridge between the elected governing bodies and the general public at every possible public platform.
The role of media, however, does not end with disseminating information about the developmental programmes and policies that are being taken up or to be taken up from time to time by the Government for the welfare of the people.
As the fourth pillar of the democracy, media is also duty bound to expose the loopholes in the administration so as to help the government of the day to be more accountable, responsible and public-friendly.
In other words, it is the freedom guaranteed to media which ensures the success of a democratically elected government in any part of the world, and any attempt to curtail this freedom or arm-twist media in its functioning would reduce democracy into oligarchy.
It is against this backdrop that we would like the public to have a re-look at the recent threat that comes from the side of Department of Personnel & Administrative Reforms (Personnel Division), Government of Manipur for taking up legal action against Hueiyen Lanpao for publishing a news report on 'IAS promotion scam'.
In addition to charges of publishing 'factually incorrect and misleading news item', which it contended was tantamount to 'irresponsible journalism and appears to have been instigated by the officer concerned with malafide intention to tarnish the image and public reputation of the incumbent Chief Secretary and the Department of Personnel', the letter written to us by its Deputy Secretary Yumnam Robita warned that 'publication of the matter which is under the judicial deliberation without leave of the concerned Court/Tribunal may entail serious legal consequences', if we do not issue a corrigendum on the front page to clarify that there is no such scam in IAS promotion.
Here, we would like to point out that the news item was just a report on a petition filed in the Guwahati Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) seeking justice over alleged denial of promotion on the ground that relevant Annual Confidential Records (ACRs) have not been submitted, and so, there is no question of being instigated by anyone in performing our duties. Yes, the matter may under adjudication of CAT, Guwahati.
But is it really a matter that requires prior restraint or legal injunction? It is also interesting to note the silence of the Department in its threat-letter over the contestation that 'if any of the IAS officers were unable to submit their PAR; then the Reporting/Reviewing and Accepting Authority would have to submit the ACR without PAR in accordance to the existing rules'.
By the way, when does the Department of Personnel started sparing time to give lesson on 'responsible journalism' rather than keeping its house clean which is always muddied all the time with hue and cry after every promotion or transfer order?
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