CONFIDENTIAL:
U.O Note No. 367/Ser.-C/95-1 Dated 26th August, 1995.
SUB.:- Office
Procedure -- Maintenance of Official Secrecy - Leakage of information -
Preventive measures -- Instructions -- Reiterated.
REF.:- 1 G.O. Ms.
No. 65, G.A (AR & T.DESK) Dept., dt. 6-2- 1986.
2. U.O. Note No. 824/Ser-C/86-5, G.AD., dt.
6-1-1987.
(i) The Box system
which was in force earlier for transporting secret files shall be revived. If
adequate number of boxes are not available with the secretaries, they shall be
procured;
(ii) The procedure
for classifying the files as 'Secret' and 'Confidential' shall be reviewed and
if any changes are required the instructions shall be modified so that only
absolutely confidential files shall be treated as strictly confidential.
General Administration (Ser. C) Department will examine the matter and issue
necessary instructions separately, if necessary;
(iii) Whenever high-level meetings are convened, only Senior Officers who are actually concerned with the subject need be present and the practice of bringing the entire staff connected with the subject to attend the meetings shall be dispensed with. The briefing meetings during Assembly Sessions with the Chief Minister shall also be attended only by the Secretaries concerned as directed by Chief Minister and that it shall not be necessary to bring other staff. All Departments of Secretariat shall issue similar instructions to the Head of Departments under their administrative control.
2. In the U.O. Note cited, all the Departments of Secretariat were requested to keep in view the illustrations/examples indicated therein for the purpose of classifying the files as "Secret" and "Confidential" and also to follow the Box system to safeguard official secrecy.
3. Despite all these instructions, it is seen that, of late, many details of important files are being published in Newspapers. Evidently, this cannot happen without leakage of information. It is, therefore, considered that number of levels which deal with important policy matters have to be reduced to minimise such leakage of information. While reiterating the above instructions issued in the references cited, it is decided that hereafter files relating to important policy matters and other confidential files should be handled only at the level of Officers viz., Deputy Secretaries/Joint Secretaries and above and not at the subordinate level. By adopting such a procedure, it would be possible to ensure secrecy till the policy is finally announced. It should be ensured that when important files are being sent from one Secretary to another Secretary or to the Minister or to the Chief Minister, they may be sent in sealed covers or in closed boxes. It is absolutely essential that utmost secrecy is maintained in respect of important files.
4. All Departments of Secretariat are requested to ensure that the above instructions are followed scrupulously.
5.
The receipt of this U.O. Note may be acknowledged.
