PANAJI
The controversial two-day training programme conducted by the Goa legislature secretariat for the new MLAs elected in the 2022 assembly elections cost the State exchequer a whopping Rs 24.96 lakh.
It was held in June last year at a starred hotel in Panaji, and was boycotted by all Opposition MLAs citing that it was being conducted by an affiliated of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and was wasteful expenditure holding it in a starred hotel.
Lawyer activist, Aries Rodrigues, had sought the expenditure incurred on the training workshop which was eventually furnished to him after the State Chief Information Commissioner Vishwas Satarkar ordered to do so.
Rodrigues in a statement said, Rs 24.13 lakh of the total amount was paid to the Pune-based NGO Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini. Another Rs 80,000 was spent on photography and videography.
Initially, Rodrigues’ RTI application was rejected by the PIO in the Legislature Secretariat, which was upheld by the Secretary Legislature Namrata Ulman, in her capacity as first appellate authority, citing that the disclosure would be a breach of privilege of the Legislature.
SCIC, Satarkar, himself a former Speaker, however found no merit in the argument that it would be a breach of privilege of the House and ordered the information be given to Rodrigues.
