HC Notice To Govt On Media Panel Appointments

The Telangana High Court single bench, comprising Justice E V Venugopal, has directed the respondents to file a counter affidavit in a matter concerning the alleged failure of the State authorities to appoint a representative of the Telangana Working Journalists Federation to the State Media Accreditation Committee.

The petition was filed by Bodige Basava Punnaiah, General Secretary of the Telangana Working Journalists Federation and a resident of Jillelaguda in Ranga Reddy district. He was represented before the court by his advocate Rapolu Bhaskar.

The respondents in the petition are the State of Telangana, represented by its Principal Secretary and Chief Secretary of the Information and Public Relations Department; the Special Commissioner of the Information and Public Relations Department, Telangana; the Chairman of the Telangana Media Academy; and Mamidi Somaiah, former president of the Telangana Working Journalists Federation.

The petitioner Punnaiah contended that the Special Commissioner of the Information and Public Relations Department failed to act on his representation dated December 29, 2025, in which he had sought the appointment of B Jagadeeshwar, Correspondent at Nava Telangana State Bureau, as a member of the State Media Accreditation Committee on behalf of the Telangana Working Journalists Federation. He submitted that such an appointment was mandated under GO Ms No 229, General Administration (Information and Public Relations) Department, dated February 12, 2026, and that the continued inaction of the respondent authority was unlawful.

The petitioner also said that the failure to implement the said Government Order constituted a violation of Articles 14, 15, 21 and 300-A of the Constitution of India, as well as a breach of the principles of natural justice.

The petitioner accordingly sought that the respondent government authorities be directed to consider his representation and appoint Jagadeeshwar as the organisational representative of the Telangana Working Journalists Federation on the State Media Accreditation Committee.

Upon hearing the matter, Justice Venugopal directed the respondents to file a counter affidavit. The matter has been adjourned for further hearing.