Freedom Of Press: Telangana HC Directs State To Allow Media Coverage Of Secretariat Demolition [Read Order]

Upholding the freedom of press, the Telangana High Court on Monday got the state government to allow the media to cover and report/telecast the demolition activity of the Secretariat buildings.

Justice Challa Kodanda Ram was hearing the plea of a media house to declare the action of the state in not allowing the Journalists/Press to cover the demolition activity of the Secretariat buildings as illegal, arbitrary and violative of the fundamental rights.

After dilly-dallying for days on the state's part, the Single Judge on Monday recorded the Advocate General's submission on instructions that the Government would make all arrangements and provide facilities for visiting the erstwhile Secretariat where demolition of the buildings is being carried out.

The AG further elaborated that at prescribed time the journalists would be taken around and they would be free to inspect the site subject to safety conditions.

The Telangana Cabinet had decided to either modify or demolish the present Secretariat Building, given its debilitated state, to construct a new one in its place. Upholding this "interim decision" of the Government, a division bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy had earlier this month observed that "The respondents are justified in claiming that it will be difficult to maintain and operate from the buildings which have lost their utility". However, the demolition had come to be stayed subsequently for a few days at the behest of the High Court for want of environmental clearances.

As reported in the PTI, the official information on the demolition came after several petitions were filed in the high court, challenging the restrictions on the media by the state government at the Secretariat demolition site.

"The government has taken up demolition of the old buildings and removal of debris of the Old Secretariat to pave way for a new building complex. As a preventive measure, the government did not allow anyone into the premises, as there is a danger of accidents happening while demolishing the high-rise buildings. As part of this, media is also not allowed", PTI quotes the official information as having stated.

Following certain observations of the high court, on Monday, the government allowed the print and electronic media personnel, accompanied by senior officials, including police, to record the proceedings. However, as pointed out in the PTI report, this was only upon ninety percent of the demolition of the state secretariat being completed, per the state's own admission in court,

As widely reported in the local media, the Single Bench had last week reprimanded the state government, saying that the Government cannot keep the public in the dark, questioning what prevents it from giving information to the press regarding the demolition activity of the Secretariat

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