The Hindu : Press unwelcome for officials?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 12, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Press unwelcome for officials?

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI JAN. 11 . Of late, it appears there is a deliberate attempt in Kodagu District to conceal from the Press visits of secretaries, who come here to review the progress of various government departments. The meeting chaired by the Kodagu in-charge Secretary, Falguni Rajkumar, to review progress of various departments here on Thursday is one such example.

Neither the Department of Information nor the district administration informed presspersons about the visit of Mr. Rajkumar. On some occasions in the past, at least Press conferences were organised to brief about the review.

The visiting secretaries should know the fact that the KDP and the ZP meetings have become farcical exercises in Kodagu. But they never interact with presspersons. Official apathy to implement government schemes is at its nadir in Kodagu. It is evident from the lackadaisical replies given by the officials at the KDP and ZP meetings.

Deficiencies and discrepancies crop up in such meetings. Officials either fail to provide a convincing answer to the question or "buy" time to reply. When they attend the next meeting, the issue would have lost its sting. The officials, who warn subordinates of stringent action, would toe a soft line or forget the issue. Like in KDP and ZP meetings, they were certain to draw the ire of the secretaries holding review meetings. In the absence of Press, embarrassment is avoided as nothing gets published.

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