PANJIM: Refusal by Goa Governor Dr S S Siddhu to furnish information under Right To Information (RTI) Act has come under severe criticism with social activists asking him not to hoist the national Tricolour on the Republic day on January 26, 2011.
“If Governor Sidhu is not a public authority he should not hoist the national flag on behalf of the people of Goa on January 26,” lawyer activist Aires Rodrigues said at a public meeting on Goa RTI Forum today.
Forum President V A Kamat later moved a resolution which unanimously demanded the Governor to immediately furnish all information sought under RTI. The meeting also demanded the speedy disposal of RTI related cases by all judicial forums. Rodrigues said that if the Governor continues his stand, then he (Governor) cannot continue to be the Governor of Goa.
“Dr Siddhu is a renowned retired bureaucrat…how can a person of his calibre say that he not within the ambit of RTI? If he remains adamant then he cannot continue to be the Governor of Goa,” he told the gathering.
He stated that the Goa Government recently released a list of 108 Government departments who come under the RTI which also included Raj Bhavan. The activist was refused information under the RTI wherein he sought details of action taken on complaints made by him to the Governor against Advocate General Subodh Kantak.
Rodrigues also sought copies of noting sheets and correspondence pertaining to the processing of his complaints against Kantak. To this, Raj Bhavan officials had replied that the Governor is not the “Public Authority” under the RTI.
The advocate also clarified that the Goa Governor’s petition before the Bombay High Court was pertaining to a particular information sought by Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar in 2007 and that it was no license or grounds for a blanket refusal by the Governor to comply with the RTI Act.
Advocate Satish Sonak, who was also present at the meeting asked the Governor to surrender the ‘huge salary’ he collects every month. “Why is he taking a fat salary? If he says that he is not the public authority then he should surrender the salary…He not only has the freedom but also duty to furnish information under the RTI,” he said.
Advocate Yatish Naik urged Goans to stand up for their rights and confront authorities against any injustice and violation of law. The meeting at Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry was largely attended by RTI and other social activists and locals.
Although anarchy and bloodshed is unacceptable it is inevitable in Goa to come. It is a boiling pot waiting to explode. Besides the unfair treatment of those in employment, there are many educated Goan youth seeking rightful employment. The high level of corruption and bulling by politicians is a disease and is unacceptable, it needs to be terminated hopefully by peaceful means via the ballot box.
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