Thursday, 21 April 2011

GOA GOVERNOR TAKES HIS BATTLE AGAINST RTI ACT TO THE HIGH COURT

PANJIM: Governor of Goa Dr. S.S.Sidhu has now taken his battle against the Right to Information Act to the Bombay High Court at Goa. The petition by Goa Raj Bhavan has been filed by the Governor’s Special Secretary Dr. N.Radhakrishnan.
The petition will be heard on Monday 25th April by a Division bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising of Justice S. C. Dharmadhikari and Justice F.M.Reis.
Interestingly the Goa Raj Bhavan will not be represented by State Advocate General Mr. Subodh Kantak but by Advocate Mahesh Sonak. Surprisingly the Goa Raj Bhavan’s petition has been filed before a Division Bench though such petitions are heard by a Single Judge.
The Goa Raj Bhavan has challenged the 31st March order of the Goa State Information Commission which had directed the Raj Bhavan to furnish Adv. Aires Rodrigues within 30 days the information sought by him under the Right to Information Act.
The State Chief Information Commissioner Mr. Motilal Keny in his order had ruled that the Goa Governor was a “Public Authority” and does come within the ambit of the Right to Information Act.
Adv. Aires Rodrigues’s complaint against Goa Governor Dr. Sidhu follows the stand taken by the Goa Raj Bhavan that the Governor wasnot a public authority and did not come within the purview of the RTI Act.
Adv. Rodrigues had sought from Goa Raj Bhavan under the RTI 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 of Goa.
Dr. S.S. Sidhu is the only Governor in the country who was not complying with the RTI Act by claiming that he was not a “Public Authority”.

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