Overview
- The Office of the Chief Secretary issued Circular No. 139-CS/2026 on May 19 that orders a “complete prohibition” on officials taking part in media programmes or sharing documents with the press unless they first obtain government sanction.
- A follow-up note from Additional Chief Secretary Rajesh Pandey on May 21 narrowed the administrative reach to officers and staff working under regular state establishments and parastatal organisations under state control.
- The order cites the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, the West Bengal Service Rules, 1980, and the West Bengal Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1959 as its legal basis and lists bans on writing for publications, radio broadcasts, and any comments that could criticise policy or strain intergovernmental relations.
- Opposition leaders, notably Trinamool Congress’ Abhishek Banerjee, labelled the move a gag on dissent while some serving civil servants and commentators warned the circular’s broad language and repeated phrase “complete prohibition” could chill legitimate speech, whistleblowing, and transparency.
- Coverage ranges from government framing the step as routine enforcement of conduct rules to critics calling it an unprecedentedly wide restriction, and the order could prompt practical effects such as fewer public explanations from officials, narrower policy debate, and difficulty reporting internal problems.