"Has UP Press Recognised Committee been constituted or not?": Allahabad High Court seeks State's reply
The state government had submitted before the court in February this year that the process for constitution of the committee will be initiated after the formation of the new government in the State.
The Allahabad High Court last week directed the counsel for the state government of Uttar Pradesh to seek instructions on whether pursuant to the Government Order dated July 4, 2008, U.P. Press Recognized Committee has been constituted or not.
The bench of Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Vikas Budhwar passed the order in the writ petition filed by All India Press Reporter Welfare Association through its President Acharya Srikant T. S & another and posted the matter for further hearing on September 30, 2022.
In 2020, an advertisement was issued for the formation of a Press Recognised Committee. Along with all the organizations of the state, the All India Press Reporter Welfare Association had also applied but seeing no further progress, the association filed a petition before the high court in February 2022.
In this petition, the court was informed on behalf of the Director, Information and Public Relations Department, that since at that time the model code of conduct was in force in view of Assembly Elections in the State, therefore, the process of setting up the Press Recognised Committee was not possible before formation of the new government.
Taking note of the submission, court had disposed of that petition on February 2, 2022.
However, despite this submission, the UP Recognised Committee could not be formed, after which the All India Press Reporter Welfare Association again moved the high court.
Case Title: All India Press Reporter Welfare Association v. State Of U.P. And 2 Others