The Telugu Desam Party sought to kick up yet another controversy by raising a hue and cry over the issuance of secret government orders by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
The TDP leaders even lodged a complaint with Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan stating that the Jagan government was issuing blank GOs and placing them in public domain.
Though these GOs have number, date and department, the matter is blank, they pointed out and alleged that the Jagan government had given a go-bye to the transparent administration.
Following this complaint, the state government went a step ahead and issued a circular to all the departments not to place any GO in public domain since the opposition has been creating an unnecessary fuss over the GOs. Moreover, crucial government information is being passed on to the opposition from the departments.
However, there is nothing new in the governments keeping the GOs confidential in the interest of the administration. It happened in the past too –during the Chandrababu Naidu government, Y S Rajasekhar Reddy government and even Kiran Kumar Reddy government.
In fact, it was YSR government which in 2008 introduced the practice of placing the GOs in public domain: goir.ap.gov.in and anybody could access to these orders by clicking this website.
However, certain GOs with confidential information was not made accessible to the people, especially with regard to key policy decisions and financial matters. Several other state governments and even the Central government follow this practice of keeping certain key GOs confidential.
By making unnecessary fuss over the GOs, the TDP has now forced the Jagan government to decide against putting any GO, confidential or otherwise, in the public domain.
So, even the normal GOs pertaining to personal issues like transfers cannot be accessed by the people!
