95% of Secretariat demolition work completed, Telangana informs High Court

Hyderabad: The High Court on Thursday questioned the State government about what prevents it from giving information to the press regarding the demolition activity of the Secretariat. 'When the process is going on, give them the information everyday evening that this is what happened today, provided that it can be able to reach the people' the Court suggested.

The High Court Single Judge Bench headed by Justice Challa Kodandaram heard the Writ Petition on Thursday filed by VIL media represented by G. Sampath who sought the court to direct the State Government to allow the press to report/telecast the demolition activity of the Secretariat.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the Court that 95 per cent of Secretariat demolition work is completed. Petitioner's counsel Naveen Kumar informed the Court that the petition is pertaining to the demolition of the Secretariat. It is the duty of the press to report the factual information which is happening in the public domain.

Further, the Advocate General BS Prasad informed the Court that everything has been placed before the Division Bench and even before the Apex Court with regard to what we are demolishing and what has been demolished.

Petitioner's Counsel Naveen informed the court that the fundamental rights of the petitioner are violated. 'What is the secrecy in maintaining this, there is no rationale in hiding the public activity. It is the arbitrary action of the State. The petitioner is very much entitled to utilise and claim his fundamental rights and the matter is pertaining to the public. The public has the right to know the information that is going on in the State, what is going on in the public domain. The citizen is an integral part of democracy, the petitioner counsel added.

Justice Challa Kodandaram opined that the Government cannot keep them in dark and cannot say that it will not give the information. For further hearing, the matter has been posted to July 24.