MARGAO
A head clerk/storekeeper of the Margao Municipal Council is now facing the liability of paying a fine of Rs 250 per day if the information on the mobile phones purchased for the city fathers during the last three terms from 2005-2020 is not furnished to an applicant within 10 days.
After the head clerk/storekeeper failed to furnish the information within the timeframe, the applicant, Savio Coutinho, filed an appeal before the First Appellate Authority, the MMC Chief Officer.
Disposing of the appeal, the First Appellate Authority, Agnelo Fernandes, has ordered the head clerk/storekeeper of the Council to provide the information sought under RTI within a period of 10 days, failure on which he will have to pay a fine of Rs 250 per day.
Coutinho had filed an RTI application on July 16 last seeking information with respect to mobile phone sets procured by the MMC during the last three terms of the Council ie 2005-10, 2010-15 and 2015-20. The application had further sought information as to the total expenditure incurred on the procurement during each of the three terms, and details of the outgoing councillors who have not returned their respective mobile phones back to the council. Coutinho had also sought information about the details of returned mobile sets in possession of the council, which could have put the official concerned in a tight spot.
During the course of the hearings on the appeal, the Appellate Authority had given the concerned head clerk/storekeeper ample of opportunities to furnish the information sought by the applicant, but in vain.
The appellate authority finally passed the judgement and order on 16th November 2021 directing the head clerk/storekeeper to provide information sought under RTI within a period of 10 days.
“The sole purpose for seeking the info was that whenever a new council is formed, new mobile sets are purchased, which are to be returned to the council on the expiry of the term. Nobody however knows whether all the outgoing councillors have returned their mobile sets, and if returned what happens to these sets thereafter,” Coutinho stated.
He added: “Whether old or new, the mobile sets are the asset/property of the council, and proper accountability is mandatory in this regard”.
