GCA PAYS SAG RS 17, 69, 252 AS SALARIES OF COACHES PROVIDED

PANJIM: In yet another apparent bid to stay out of the purview of the RTI Act, the Goa Cricket Association has paid back to the Sports Authority of Goa Rs 17, 69,252 by way of salaries of the cricket coaches that were provided by SAG since 2005.

In the information furnished to Adv. Aires Rodrigues under the Right to Information Act it has been revealed that this amount has been paid by GCA without even the SAG demanding for it.

However the Sports Authority of Goa has further informed Adv. Aires Rodrigues that despite repeated reminders an amount of Rs 8, 40,896 which is due as the interest on interest of the 50 lacs loan has not yet been paid by GCA.

Earlier, when the RTI issue was raised the GCA in August 2010 paid SAG an amount of Rs 10, 33,042 which was the interest due on the 50 lacs loan that was given to them by SAG in the year 2000.

Meanwhile a Division Bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising of Justice S.B.Deshmukh and Justice F.M.Reis will on February 8th hear the petition filed by the Goa Cricket Association (GCA) challenging the order of the Goa State Information Commission which had ruled that the GCA comes under the ambit of the Right to Information Act.

The State Chief Information Commissioner Mr. Motilal Keny had on October 7th last year in a 23 page landmark judgment directed the Goa Cricket Information to furnish Adv. Aires Rodrigues the information sought by him on the fees paid by the GCA to its lawyer Mr. Subodh Kantak.

The State Chief Information Commissioner ruled that the government notification dated 8th July 2010 that all sports organizations and Sports Associations recognized by Sports Authority of Goa are covered under the RTI Act was binding on the Goa Cricket Association.

After Adv. Aires Rodrigues sought information from the Goa Cricket Association on the fees paid to their lawyer Mr. Subodh Kantak, the Goa Cricket Association which is headed by Goa’s former Law Minister Mr. Dayanand Narvekar took a stand that it does not come under the purview of the RTI Act.

The Goa Cricket Association claimed that the Right to Information Act was not applicable to it as it had not received any financial or other assistance from the Goa Government or the Sports Authority of Goa.

However Adv. Aires Rodrigues submitted documentary proof to the effect that the Goa Government besides financial and other assistance had also granted to the Goa Cricket Association on a 99 year lease land admeasuring 1,30,328 sq meters at Tivim for the construction of a cricket stadium at a nominal rent of Rs 50,000/- per year