"Face" of the Sukhu Govt in Crisis: PR Dept in Shambles, Media Left in the Lurch

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government’s public relations machinery, meant to be the face of the administration, is in complete disarray.

The situation is so depressing that even journalists seeking official responses on policy matters are met with indifference, counter-questions, and bureaucratic hurdles.

The recent experience of a journalist at the HP Secretariat exposed just how deep the rot runs.

When the journalist approached the Director of Public Relations (DPR) with pending queries on the Digital Media Policy 2024, instead of addressing concerns, the officer sounded high headed  questioning, "Who sent you to me? Why have you come to me? Have you taken an appointment?"...

This, despite the fact that the journalist’s visiting card had already been sent 30 minutes prior and was lying on his  empty desk. More so, there was hardly any visitor in his office today on February 18 as CM was out of station. 

When informed that lower-level officials had directed the journalist to him, the response was equally dismissive: "Who is he?"

PR Department in Deep Freeze?

The incident raises a larger question—who is actually running the Public Relations Department?

Does Himachal Pradesh people don't deserve a full time director who sits in his Directorate rather than in his CM office? 

Or has the role of the public relations department become redundant in this time of social media? 

While media professionals struggle to get their issues addressed, the DPR’s inaccessibility has become a well-known problem.

His erratic office presence in the Directorate  has left journalists and even PR department staff in a state of confusion about where to take their concerns.

One of the reasons behind this dysfunction is the officer’s multiple roles—he serves as the Special Private Secretary to the Chief Minister, Director of Public Relations, and also heads the HP State AIDS Control Society and many more.

It is no surprise then that he seems unable to focus on the critical job of managing government-media relations.

Is he cosying up to his pet media professionals who just drop in his CMO office any time they like.

While it is fund crunch or rules problems for  digital media, which is touted as media of future, it is a cakewalk for the pet professionals, commented the sidelined media persons. 

The PR department, which should be proactively engaging with journalists, has instead become a bureaucratic dead end.

CM’s "Private" PR Over Official PR

What is even more alarming is that while the official PR department struggles with lack of direction and resources, the Sukhu government is spending heavily on hiring private social media handlers for ministers.

These social media teams, handpicked by politicians, are being paid hefty sums while the qualified, experienced workforce within the PR department is being sidelined. The result? A demoralized department and a government whose public image is crumbling due to mismanagement.

Several retired public relations officers have openly criticized the government’s approach, arguing that the state’s PR system has never been in such a state of neglect.

With an inefficient director at the helm and an administration that prioritizes private media handlers over experienced public servants, the very image of the government is at stake.

A Government in Confidence Crisis

The larger problem is clear—the Sukhu government is grappling with a serious confidence crisis.

The official PR team, meant to be the bridge between the government and the public, is in disarray.

Journalists, who rely on the PR department for government information, are being ignored, dismissed, or redirected into a bureaucratic maze.

The Chief Minister must intervene before this crisis deepens further.

If the Director of Public Relations cannot function as the government's official spokesperson, then who will?

And if journalists cannot approach the PR department for official communication, where should they go?

At a time when the government is already facing severe financial constraints, public perception matters more than ever.

But with its public relations system in free fall, the Sukhu administration risks alienating both the media and the public.

The question remains—will the CM take corrective action, or will his government continue to sink under its own weight?

Readers Comments: 

1.🙏 Really deplorable and concering state of affairs. If journalists are treated in such a manner then one can imagine the plight of a common man. Hon'ble CM must take a call to ensure effective, responsive and transparent administration to resolve people's grievances- Kameshwar Dhaulta, seasoned lawyer at HP High Court.

2. PR has been in complete shambles since this Govt.came into existence. The PR people are being ignored and Journalists being overlooked. The correctional measures needs to be  taken by the State Government in this regard-  Rahul Kumar, a resident of Shimla. 

3. The Govt will not be repeated, is a historical truth in Himachal. The truth makes the Govt inert- Manoj Kumar, a hydropower expert.