The district education officers (DEO) of Dhenkanal in Odisha have issued an order directing school headmasters not to allow unauthorised entry of journalists inside schools and classrooms.

The letter was issued to the block education officers on Friday.

While the Opposition Congress and BJP, and journalists demanded immediate withdrawal of the order, school and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash said some media persons at the block level were creating a lot of disturbance on the school premises, causing stress to teachers and students.

In the letter to the block education officers (BEOs), the district education officer, Dhenkanal, said: “I am to inform you that it is noticed that some persons holding cameras are entering schools and asking questions to students/teachers with a view to humiliate them. Some TV channels are airing those videos. Such activities are not permissible in the classrooms or on the school premises. It is also unethical.”

The DEO asked the school headmasters not to allow unauthorised entry of any person into the school campus and classroom. “If any person enters into the school campus with ill intention and commits such type of activity, the headmaster must ask the school management committee (SMC) president to lodge an FIR against the person violating human rights,” the DEO said.

Sources said the DEO issued the letters following reports circulated on social media about the poor standard of education in schools. Questions were also raised about the standard of food being served under the midday meal scheme.

Both the Congress and the BJP have condemned the move of the Odisha government.

“It comes under the job chart of a journalist to visit schools and report about their activities. Even when I was the secretary of the school and mass education department in 2007, we encouraged the media to visit schools. Now an attempt has been made to stifle the voice of democracy,” said Bhubaneswar BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi.

Targeting the Odisha government, Congress MLA Suresh Routray said: “Earlier the state government in the name of Covid banned the entry of journalists into the state secretariat and other offices. It’s an attempt to suppress all kinds of corruption.”

Sources said only accredited journalists are allowed inside the state secretariat.

Earlier, both accredited and working journalists were issued passes to enter the state secretariat. “Now a journalist cannot enter. He or she needs to take prior permission from the concerned authorities, particularly the secretary of a department. But if one cites he or she is coming to cover a report, most of the time passes are denied,” said a journalist.