Justice S.V. Bhat of the Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday granted a stay on the orders of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, directing NTV, the Telugu news channel to stop telecast of its programmes for a week.
He was passing these interim orders in a writ petition filed by Rachana Television that owns the news channel. The petitioner told the Court that based on a complaint, the Ministry conducted inquiry regarding a programme telecast in 2012. The Ministry asked how the programme of cine colours was telecast without there being certification. The songs were certified but the voice-over was not certified.
The petitioner told the Ministry that this was telecast in good faith and that there was no violation of Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act.
Priority of gas allotment
Justice Ramesh Ranganathan of the Hyderabad High Court made it clear that the Court was not inclined to interfere with the policy of the Government of India regarding the order of priority of allotment of gas from the Krishna-Godavari basin to fertilizer factories and power plants in the area.
The judge directed the State and Centre and other statutory authorities to look into the representations made by the power producers seeking gas allocation and supply on priority basis within 4 months. He was disposing of a writ filed by Independent Gas-based Power Producers Association and other power plants.
The petitioners complained that gas from KG basin was not allotted to them on priority but was given to fertilizer units. They lamented that there was no open consultation while framing the policy on gas allocation. The judge said complaint of violation of principles of natural justice cannot be made when the government makes economic policy. But “it is desirable, as a matter of good governance and administration, that, whenever policy decisions are taken, there should be a wide range of consultations including considering any representations which may have been made”.
No positive direction for allocation of gas on priority basis was given but the State and Centre were directed to look into the request made by petitioners and other stakeholders.
