RTI CASE AGAINST AG SUBODH KANTAK: ARGUMENTS ON FEB 17TH

PANJIM: The Goa Chief Information Commissioner Mr. Motilal Kenny will on Feb 17th at 10 am hear final arguments on the complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues against the Advocate General of Goa Mr. Subodh Kantak for not complying with the provisions of the Right to Information Act.

Adv Aires Rodrigues has in his complaint against Mr. Subodh Kantak submitted that the Advocate General as a “public authority” was required under Section 5 of the Act to designate within 100 days Public Information Officers to provide information to persons requesting the same from the Advocate General’s office.

Adv. Rodrigues has also stated that Section 4 the Act required the Advocate General to publish and make public within one hundred and twenty days various information details about the Advocate General’s office.

In his petition Adv. Aires Rodrigues has also sought that the Advocate General of Goa be penalized in terms of section 20 of the RTI Act for not complying with the provisions of the Act for over five years.

Following in the footsteps of Goa Governor Dr. S.S.Sidhu, the Advocate General of Goa Mr. Subodh Kantak has also taken a stand that he too is not a “Public Authority”. Mr. Subodh Kantak has however conceded that the appointment of an Advocate General is under the Constitution of India.