Mohan Majhi government lifts restrictions on journalists imposed during Naveen Patnaik's tenure
Bhubaneswar: In a landmark move, Odisha's new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, has initiated steps to restore journalists' access to Lok Seva Bhavan, the state secretariat in Bhubaneswar.
The department of information and public relations (I&PR) has issued an official notification allowing media personnel to resume day-to-day coverage of government activities.
This decision overturns restrictions introduced by the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government during the Covid-19 pandemic, which had barred journalists from entering the secretariat, significantly limiting access to information.
The move, according to senior journalists in the state, signals the Majhi government’s commitment to transparency and openness. Both accredited and non-accredited journalists will now be granted entry, ensuring broader media representation and inclusivity.
Observers believe this policy change will strengthen communication between the government and the press, fostering democratic principles in Odisha.
“In light of the inadequacies in the previous notification (No. 1556, dated 06.02.2013) from the I&PR Department regarding recommendations for media personnel's secretariat entry passes, it has been deemed necessary to annul the existing notification,” the new directive stated.
The revised policy, titled “Guidelines for Issue of Secretariat Admission Pass to Representatives of Press/Media," defines media representatives as individuals associated with newspapers, periodicals, news agencies, or electronic media. These guidelines will remain in effect unless amended in the future.
“This initiative represents a significant step towards enhancing media-government relations in the state. By restricting the entry of media persons to the state’s secretariat, the previous government had in a way attempted to subdue the press freedom. We thank the CM Mohan Charan Majhi and Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to whom we had urged to lift the restrictions on entry of scribes into the state secretariat,” said senior journalist Prasanna Mohanty.
