Thiruvananthapuram: The Directorate of Health Services (DHS) has withdrawn the controversial circular barring health employees from creating content for social media. The new notice says that the circular was withdrawn for 'administrative reasons'.
The DHS had issued a circular prohibiting government employees in the health sector from making posts or starting channels on social media platforms. The circular dated March 13 was released following requests from government officials seeking approval to engage on social media while adhering to the code of conduct.
The circular emphasized that allowing government officials from health sector to use social media could lead to code of conduct violations and interfere with their official duties.
Furthermore, the order outlined that if an employee's social media channels, such as YouTube or Instagram, garner views and subscribers surpassing a specific threshold, they may receive financial benefits, including advertising revenue. However, this practice is deemed contrary to Rule 48 of the Kerala Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1960.
While acknowledging the potential income generated from such activities, the circular highlighted the challenges in investigating and confirming whether officials receive compensation for their posts.
“Government employees under the health department are barred from creating social media channels or posting content. Applications seeking permission for such activities may be rejected at the district or institutional level,” the first circular said.
