PANJIM: The Director General of Police (DGP) Jaspal Singh has in the name of effective communication with media has indirectly drawn a gag order against the police officials preventing them from disseminating information.

In a five-page standing order dated May 31, 2023, the DGP Goa has almost put out an order similar to rules of conduct to his officials while giving information to media regarding various matters the police handles.

The order prevents even an official of the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) from giving any information to the press and media. All the communication has been redirected to the Public Relation Officer (PRO) of Goa Police.

In the standing order, the DGP also says that the communication with the media as far as practicable will be done through press releases which shall be issued by the PRO after approval of senior police officials.

Quite clearly, practicality has been sacrificed, or there is no interest in having any interaction with the press. If this order has to be followed totally, then a reporter in Canacona will have to speak to PRO in Panjim for a murder in his backyard. Can the press do its job like this?

Several incidents of police officials either not picking calls or redirecting to personal assistants and other officials have been recently experienced by the pressmen. It is also noted that as the concerned PRO is not on duty all the officials are denying information and pushing the responsibilities from one official to another.