Accreditation card renewals contempt petition filed in Telangana High Court
Hyderabad: A contempt petition in the Telangana High Court accused government authorities of ignoring court directions on Accreditation card renewals for working journalists despite repeated assurances before the court.
The Telangana Urdu Working Journalists’ Federation filed the petition. It alleged that the Information and Public Relations Department failed to issue a renewal circular for media accreditation cards despite High Court directions on April 30 and May 14, 2026.
The petitioners said the court directed officials to extend accreditation cards. The court also recorded undertakings from the Additional Advocate General and the Special Advocate General on the issue.
Accreditation card renewals at centre of contempt plea
On May 14, the High Court directed officials to place the renewal memorandum on record before the end of the day. However, the Federation said officials still had not issued the memorandum weeks later.
The issue gained attention after authorities informed the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation about the continuation of bus pass facilities for accredited journalists.
A communication sent to TGSRTC said media accreditation cards would remain valid until June 16, 2026. However, the petitioners argued that the department informed third-party agencies but did not issue an official circular for journalists across Telangana.
After the summer vacation ended, the Federation moved the contempt petition. It accused authorities of deliberately violating court directions and undertakings. The court is expected to list the matter shortly.
Accreditation card renewals dispute linked to GO 252 challenge
The dispute arose from petitions challenging GO Ms. No. 252 and later amendments governing journalist accreditation.
During earlier hearings, the Vacation Bench expressed concern over delays in extending accreditation cards. The Federation told the court that accredited journalists across Telangana faced hardship because of uncertainty over card validity.
The contempt petition will likely examine whether authorities willfully disobeyed judicial directions. It will also consider whether officials failed to honour commitments recorded by the court.
The High Court will hear the main writ petitions challenging GO 252 and its amendments on June 16, 2026. Meanwhile, the contempt case may come up separately in the coming days.