HIGH COURT ADJOURNS TO MAY 2ND GOA GOVERNOR’S PLEA AGAINST RTI

PANJIM: A Division bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising of Justice S. C. Dharmadhikari and Justice F.M.Reis today adjourned to May 2nd the petition filed by Goa’s Raj Bhavan against the Right to Information Act. The Goa Raj Bhavan was today not represented by State Advocate General Mr. Subodh Kantak but by Advocate Mahesh Sonak

The petition filed by Goa Governor Dr. S.S.Sidhu’s Special Secretary Dr. N. Radhakrishnan challenges 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 was not 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”.