category Regional, chandigarh, , tags Regional, chandigarh, , DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal has directed all administrative secretaries, deputy commissioners, and heads of department to strictly adhere to guidelines regarding the admissible channels of communication between state governments and Foreign diplomatic missions in India, Indian Missions Abroad and Foreign Governments: A letter addressed to all the state governments by Union Ministry of External Affairs states that it has come to the notice of Union Ministry of External Affairs that some departments are directly interacting with Foreign Diplomatic Missions located in India, which is a clear violation of the guidelines and not permissible. Any administrative requirement or communication should be routed through the respective Administrative Departments. The proper procedure should be followed, and the Ministry of External Affairs should be informed of the communication for onward transmission to the Foreign Government Foreign Diplomatic Mission in India or Indian Mission in a Foreign Country, as applicable. Direct communication should only be made in cases where it is explicitly allowed according to the guidelines. Furthermore, the Chief Secretary stated that if there are any ambiguities or doubts, the concerned Administrative Departments should seek clarification from the Ministry of External Affairs, with intimation to the Chief Secretary s office. Any violation of these instructions will be taken seriously, and strict disciplinary action will be taken against the officers and officials involved, reads the letter. According to the guidelines of the Ministry of External Affairs, the State Governments should not correspond directly with foreign Governments. Normally, such communications are not acted upon by the foreign Governments concerned, nut are made over by them to the appropriate Indian authority. The proper channel of communication with foreign governments is the Government of India in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Diplomatic Mission Post in the country concerned, or, where there is no Indian representative, channel deemed appropriate by the Ministry of External Affairs. Indian Courts responsible for enforcing foreign maintenance orders may correspond directly with foreign courts in routine matters relating to such maintenance orders, and in the remittance of payment due under them. (editor dailyworld.in)