State Government is yet to disclose more than 1.16 lakh Government Orders (GOs) passed since 2014 despite High Court orders: Plea in Telangana HC

In a plea moved before Telangana High Court one B Vinay Reddy contended that State Government did not comply with earlier directions of Court where it was asked to upload all the unpublished GOs in the public domain.

The petitioner in his petition stated that State Government revealed in Telangana Legislative Assembly that 199115 GOs were passed by Government from 02.06.2014 to 14.03.2025 and out of that only 82657 GOs are in the public domain.

An RTI reply given on 18.11.2025 disclosed that out of the total 19064 GOs that were issued between 07.12.2023 to 26.01.2025 only 3290 GOs are in the public domain.

The plea is pending before Justice Surepalli Nanda.

It was submitted that when the GOs are issued by various departments they mention in the GOIR portal that the order is either Public or Internal use. They do not pass any reasoned order while withholding the GO citing sections 8 or 9 of RTI Act that prescribes various circumstances in which Information can be denied from the citizen.

The plea submits that the Government Order cannot be made public by the citizens if they are kept secret.

"Such Government Orders are never brought into knowledge of the concerned citizen. He cannot even know its existence let alone comply with it. A Government Order which is kept out of the public domain cannot be known, obeyed, questioned or relied upon by the citizen whose rights it affects."

It was further submitted that Honorable Court had earlier passed two orders dated 10.03.2022 and 23.12.2025 whereby State was asked to upload the unpublished orders within period of 8 weeks. It was stated that these orders are not complied by the State.

A Contempt matter is also pending before Court on the issue of non-compliance.

Petitioner has approached High Court asking the State to publish all the Government Orders issued since 02.06.2014 except those that can be withheld. Departmental wise details of unpublished orders, deadline to upload the orders and officers who will upload them to be fixed by Court.

He has also challenged that State Government took a lot of time to answer his RTI that was asked from him on 17.01.2026.

In which he asked yearwise and department wise data regarding how many Government Orders were passed since 2014 and how many were uploaded in the public domain. What are the reasons for not publishing some GOs and what rules are there regarding publication of Government Orders.

His complaint was moved before Telangana Information Commission on 22.02 but it took almost five months to consider his grievance i.e. 15.07. The matter was heard 3 times and no orders were passed. On 13.10 the matter was adjourned without giving any next date. It was alleged that the Information commission had not allowed him to have records of his proceedings or video conference to hear the same.

"The record of hearing cannot be denied to a party when the body is meant to provide transparency", it was argued in the plea.

He sought for directions to provide him the RTI details within two weeks of free and answer his grievance within four weeks. Hybrid mode of hearing to be followed and atleast give seven days notice and upload records of hearing within three days of the hearing.

Advocate Mahesh Mamindla moved the plea.