The Naveen Patnaik government has asked its officials not to talk to the media without taking prior permission from the government. It has issued a circular to this effect and asked all department heads to ensure the message goes down the line.

"There has been an order related to the service code of conduct that no one is allowed to talk to the media. We have just reiterated that order," a senior official of the general administration department said today.

The officer tried to clarify the government's move saying there was a "growing tendency among junior officials to seek publicity at the cost of the government's policies and programmes".