Panaji, March 8 (IANS): Very few people in government, both in the states as well as at the Centre, were familiar with rules of government business, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday.

Speaking at a book release function here, Parrikar said every time he became chief minister, he made it a point to give a copy of the state government's rules of business to every cabinet minister and secretary.

He, however, indicated that none of them may have read the contents of the book properly.

Parrikar said that barring a "few good secretaries" and experts, very few officials actually knew the rules of business, which basically dictate the formal protocol of governance and decision-making.

"Every time I became the chief minister, I gave one copy of the rules of business of the government of Goa 1991 to every cabinet minister and every secretary, but I don't think anyone read them properly," Parrikar said.

At the national level too, rules of business are not known to secretaries, he added.