LAW COMMISISON CHAIRMAN’S VEHICLE CRUISED 42, 652 KMS

PANJIM: The Honda City official vehicle GA – 03-G – 9999 assigned to the Chairman of the Goa Law Commission Mr. Ramakant Khalap traveled 42,652 kms for the period from 30th April 2009 to 26th November 2010. The other vehicle assigned to the office of Law Commission traveled 15,819 kms for the period from 5th May 2009 to 26th November 2010.

This has been revealed in the information furnished to Adv. Aires Rodrigues by the Law department under the Right to Information Act. The fuel and servicing charges of these two vehicles has cost the Goa government Rs 2,54,699.

Adv. Rodrigues has also been informed that the Goa Government spent Rs 1,47,384 on the trips made outside Goa by Chairman of Law Commission Mr. Ramakant Khalap from September 2009 to June 2010. This includes four trips to Delhi, two to Mumbai and one to Pune. Of the four trips to Delhi two were via Mumbai.

The Chairman of the Law Commission by virtue of the cabinet rank given to him appointed eight personal staff. The salary of these staff along with Law Commission Chairman Mr. Ramakant Khalap’s salary has cost the tax payer Rs 26,99,596

The Law department has also informed Adv. Rodrigues that a further Rs 6,60,350 was spent by way of office expenses incurred by the Goa Law Commission. In addition to this a total of Rs 4,41,000 was paid to the two commission members Adv. Cleofato Coutinho and Adv. Mario Pinto Almeida by way of sitting fees.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that it has to be ascertained how much of the 42,652 kms run by Mr. Ramakant Khalap’s car was related to his political work and to his work as Chairman of the Mapusa Urban Cooperative Bank of Goa.

Regarding Mr. Ramakant Khalap’s trips to Mumbai and Delhi, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that it has to be seen whether any of these trips and other expenses incurred by the Commission were in connection with the formation of the private trust “Goa Organisation for Law Finance and Education” for the setting up an international Arbitration centre in Goa.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that these activities being beyond the mandate of the Goa Law Commission all the expenditure and any other that is not related to the Law Commission agenda should be recovered by the Goa Government from Mr. Ramakant Khalap.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that Rs 6,60,350 spent by way of office expenses is very high given that the Law Commission has had no rent to pay as it was functioning in government premises.

The entire expenses of Rs 42, 03, 029 incurred on the Goa Law Commission for the period from April 2009 to November 2010 needs to be probed, stated Adv. Aires Rodrigues