Telangana High Court Presses Government on Journalist Accreditation Card Delays

Hyderabad: Judges at the Telangana High Court have questioned government officials about prolonged delays in processing journalist accreditation renewals, following complaints from the Telangana Urdu Working Journalists Federation.

The vacation bench took up the matter after the Federation notified the court that despite previous commitments, the renewal of Working Journalists' Accreditation Cards remained incomplete. The Federation had first approached the court on May 14 regarding the stalled process.

The Additional Advocate General informed the bench that the government would extend Media Accreditation Cards through June 16, 2026, with extension orders to be issued by Thursday evening.

The court noted that the problem extended far beyond the petitioners in the case, affecting accredited journalists throughout Telangana. Judges observed that authorities should not restrict their response to those who filed petitions when the issue impacted the entire journalistic community.

The bench also pointed out that officials had previously assured a Division Bench of completing the extension process by May 31, 2026. The court subsequently issued fresh directions extending that deadline to June 16, 2026, and instructed authorities to comply strictly with both the undertaking and judicial orders.

The Federation, along with other petitioners, has challenged Government Order 252 and its amendments, contending there were procedural irregularities in how the order was implemented and how accreditation cards were issued.

During the hearing, advocate Barkat Ali Khan, representing the Federation, outlined the practical consequences of the delay. He explained that journalists have been unable to freely enter government departments, the Secretariat, official functions, and press conferences needed for their reporting work.

Khan argued that the holdup had hampered journalists' ability to perform their professional responsibilities and infringed upon press freedom and freedom of expression.

The court expressed dissatisfaction with the delay and questioned why authorities had not fulfilled their commitments despite multiple assurances. The High Court indicated it would continue tracking whether its directions are being implemented.

The next scheduled hearing in the petitions challenging GO 252 is set for June 16, 2026.