PANAJI
The denial of information sought of the expenditure incurred on the two-day training session held for legislators at a starred hotel in the capital city on June 27 and 28 by the Goa Legislature Secretariat has been questioned by activist-lawyer Aires Rodrigues.
In a statement, Rodrigues said the same Goa legislature secretariat has been obliged in providing him with information related to a similar training session for MLAs a decade ago.
The reason cited by the Legislature Secretariat to deny Rodrigues the information now is that the details sought are exempt from disclosure under section 8 (1) (c) of the Right to Information Act and Rule 37 (16) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa legislative assembly.
Apart from the money spent on the training session, Rodrigues had also sought copies of file notings and other correspondence related to the training workshop for the MLAs held on June 27 and 28.
While denying the information, Mohan Gaonkar, the Public Information Officer (PIO) at the Goa Legislature Secretariat has said that disclosure of the information would amount to a breach of privilege of the State Legislature.
Rodrigues said he will file an appeal before the State RTI Commission against Goankar's denial of information.
Interestingly, the training workshop on June 27 and 28 was boycotted by the legislators of all Opposition parties -- Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP).
The legislators from the Opposition benches cited their objection to the workshop being conducted by an organisation linked to the (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) RSS and also the wasteful expenditure by holding it in a five-star hotel as reasons for not attending it.
Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar had said the workshop was being held because as many as 19 legislators were first-timers.
Adv Rodrigues has recalled that the Legislature Secretariat had earlier furnished him the information on a similar two-day orientation programme conducted for Goa’s MLAs on June 8 and 9, 2012 at Hotel Mandovi.
The expenses on that orientation programme amounted to Rs 4,87,880 of which Rs 1,25,550 was spent on Air Tickets for the guest speakers and Rs 25,000 on the honorarium paid to them while another Rs 53,265 was spent on Hotel accommodation. Rs 14,190 on Mementos to guest speakers while Rs 42,450 was spent on Printing, Stationery, folders and banner. The video recording cost Rs 8,000 while the flower bouquets for the occasion cost Rs 6,200. A further amount of Rs 2,13,225 was spent on food and refreshments for the MLAs during those two days.
