HIGH COURT TO HEAR 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 will on Monday 25th April hear the petition filed by Goa’s Raj Bhavan against the Right to Information Act.

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.

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 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”.