Maharashtra government employees have been barred from criticising current or past policies of the state or any other government in the country, according to a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI). The new social media guidelines, issued through a Government Resolution (GR) on Monday, apply to all state government employees, including those in local bodies, public sector undertakings and contract staff. As per the PTI report, the GR states that employees must maintain separate social media accounts for official and personal use. Personal accounts should not carry anything beyond the employee’s photograph and are barred from using designations, government logos, images of uniforms, office buildings or official vehicles. The GR also prohibits employees from using mobile applications banned by either the state or the Centre. Violations will invite disciplinary action under the Maharashtra Civil Service Conduct Rules, 1979. While officers are allowed to highlight good work done by them, they have been advised to avoid self-praise. Employees are expected to use social media responsibly and refrain from downloading or circulating content that is objectionable, defamatory, discriminatory, or likely to incite hatred. Only officials authorised by the government can use official handles to promote schemes, projects or seek public participation and that too with prior approval from the competent authority. No confidential files or documents may be uploaded, forwarded or shared, even partially, without official permission, the PTI report said. Employees have also been directed to hand over official social media accounts to their successors upon retirement or transfer. The government has allowed the use of messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram for work-related coordination.