GCA’S PETITION AGAINST RTI: AIRES INFORMS COURT HE IS RELATED TO THE JUDGE

PANJIM: The Division Bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising of Justice S.B.Deshmukh and Justice F.M.Reis today adjourned to 8th Feb the petition filed by the Goa Cricket Association (GCA) challengingthe order of the Goa State Information Commission which had ruled thatthe GCA comes under the ambit of the Right to Information Act.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues today submitted to the court that he was recently informed that Justice F.M.Reis was related to him. Adv. Rodrigues told the court that he had to inform the court about this inview of the highest standards of professional ethics and propriety that needs to be maintained in the legal profession.

When Justice Reis asked the other lawyers appearing in the matter whether any of them had any objection to him hearing the matter, Adv. Mahesh Sonak appearing for the Goa Cricket Association stated that he would take instructions from his client on the issue.

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 9th July 2010 that all sports organizations andSports 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 otherassistance from the Goa Government or the Sports Authority of Goa.

However Adv. Aires Rodrigues submitted documentary proof to the effect that the Goa Government had 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.

Adv. Rodrigues also submitted evidence that the Sports Authority of Goa had also given the Goa Cricket Association financial assistance of Rs 50 lakhs and that part of the interest payment was yet not paid to the government.

Adv Rodrigues submitted further evidence to the effect that the Sports Authority of Goa was also paying the salaries of cricket coaches given to the Goa Cricket Association.