RTI CASE AGAINST GOA GOVERNOR ADJOURNED TO 25th FEB

PANJIM: The Goa Chief Information Commissioner Mr. Motilal Kenny today adjourned to 25th Feb his order on Goa Governor Dr. S.S.Sidhu’s plea for constitutionally immunity in the RTI case filed against him by Adv. Aires Rodrigues.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues’s complaint against the Governor Sidhu follows the stand taken by the Raj Bhavan that the Governor of Goa is not a public authority and does not come within the purview of the RTI Act.

Adv. Rodrigues had sought from Raj Bhavan under the Right to Information Act details of action taken on the complaints made by him to the Governor of Goa against Advocate General of Goa Mr. Subodh Kantak. Adv. Rodrigues had also sought copies of noting sheets and correspondence pertaining to the processing of his complaints against the Advocate General.

In his petition Adv. Aires Rodrigues has stated that the office of the Governor is a constitutional post within the definition of “Public authority” under section 2 (h) (a) of the RTI Act.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that as the Governor is a public authority and with even Public Information Officers under the Act being notified, that Raj Bhavan was bound to furnish the information sought and that the refusal was unreasonable, malafide and without reasonable cause.