Secretariat sources say that across all departments the number of GOs issued each year averages over 10,000, which makes the low number of publicly accessible orders — just 5,018 in 23 months startling and raises the suspicion that thousands of GOs are being kept secret

Government Orders (GOs) that should be available to the public remain largely inaccessible in Telangana, exposing a serious transparency deficit in state administration. Since the Congress government took office on December 7, 2023, the state has issued thousands of orders, but only 5,018 GOs have been made available in the public domain till November 21, 2025 (Friday). Secretariat sources say that across all departments the number of GOs issued each year averages over 10,000, which makes the low number of publicly accessible orders — just 5,018 in 23 months — startling and raises the suspicion that thousands of GOs are being kept secret.

The opacity became evident once again on November 21, 2025, when Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao issued GO RT No.1632 ordering the transfer of 32 IPS officers. Even late into the night, the order had not been uploaded online. Activists say this delay is not an isolated instance but part of a repeated pattern in which several important GOs are circulated only internally among senior officials or selectively leaked to the media instead of being placed in the public domain.

Observers argue that the lack of access to GOs severely limits public understanding of how the government operates. Every major administrative decision—from welfare schemes and financial approvals to postings, sanctions, irrigation works, urban planning and policing—is issued in the form of a GO. When these documents are missing, it becomes impossible for citizens, journalists and researchers to scrutinize decisions or track policy changes. Governance experts say the result is weakened accountability and a system that functions without adequate public oversight.

Political analysts point out that this culture of secrecy originated during the previous government. Departments began marking a growing number of GOs as “internal,” citing court suggestions that not all administrative communications need to be disclosed. Over time, this exception turned into a widely used loophole, enabling departments to avoid uploading several routine GOs. Critics note that instead of correcting this practice, the current administration has continued it, despite public expectations of greater openness.

Department-wise data reveals how severe the withholding has become. The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department, often described as the most opaque, has uploaded only 258 GOs from January 1 to November 21, 2025. The numbering sequence on its portal exposes clear gaps. For example, it lists GO No.148 and then jumps directly to GO No.241, leaving dozens of unuploaded orders unaccounted for. Analysts say that such gaps indicate that many GOs are being classified as “internal” and withheld from public view.

The Irrigation Department reflects a similar pattern. It has uploaded only 41 GOs this year, with numbering that reveals several missing sequences. The list jumps from GO Nos. 4 to 12, 24 to 25, 90 to 129, and later to 131, 151 and 177. 

Experts say the department is clearly issuing GOs internally in sequential order, but only select orders are being uploaded. Nearly every major department shows this pattern of missing numbers, reinforcing the suspicion that thousands of GOs remain hidden.

Activists argue that most of the GOs being withheld do not involve sensitive information. They say that only a very limited set of orders relating to national security or confidential legal matters may reasonably require restricted access. The majority of GOs involve administrative duties, financial allocations, project sanctions and departmental decisions that should be accessible by default. Keeping such orders secret, activists say, works against democratic principles and raises concerns about selective implementation and unmonitored decision-making.

Even as Telangana’s executive functioning faces questions over transparency, the Supreme Court of India has been emphasising the need for openness in judicial processes. On November 12, during a hearing, a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said High Courts must publish the dates when judgments are reserved and when they are pronounced. The bench made the remarks in a petition filed by life convicts in Jharkhand who said their criminal appeals had been reserved for two to three years without judgment. The court said citizens have a right to know how long courts take to deliver decisions and suggested that High Courts maintain dashboards displaying reservation dates, pronouncement dates and upload dates. Legal experts note that while there is no strict timeline, reserved judgments are generally expected within two to six months unless complex legal issues demand more time.

The Supreme Court’s push for judicial transparency has heightened attention on the lack of openness in Telangana’s administration. Critics say the contrast is striking. While the judiciary is being urged to improve transparency, the state government appears to be withholding thousands of GOs that directly impact governance and public welfare.

Civil society groups and policy observers now say the state must act immediately. They urge the government to upload all pending GOs without exception, stop misclassifying routine orders as internal and ensure complete, uninterrupted numbering on departmental portals. They argue that only full and consistent disclosure can rebuild public trust, ensure fair governance and establish Telangana as a genuinely transparent administration.