Lucknow: Do you know where the first Internet connection in city was installed, or who got the city’s first mobile phone? Both, former officials say, came to the state information department first.Speaking at an event, former IAS officer Rohit Nandan said the first mobile connection in Lucknow in 1996 and the first Internet link were issued in the name of information department. “The department has always acted as govt’s eyes and ears, and continues to remain relevant with changing technology,” he said.Nandan, who served as information director three times, said the department plays a key role in shaping the government’s image. “What officers do here directly affects how people perceive about govt,” he said.Former IAS officer and election commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey, who too held the post twice, recalled his tenure as one of the most significant in his career. He cited an instance when a Press note led to a debate in Vidhan Sabha and was later accepted by govt. “The post is considered a centre of influence with direct access to the chief minister,” he said.Justice Raghvendra Kumar said the department played an important role in building public trust by communicating govt and court work effectively.A magazine named ‘Rizwa’ was launched by Retired Information Journalist Welfare Association and honoured several former officials for their contribution.
