the goan I network
Panaji
Adv Rohit Bras de Sa and petitioner in the CM’s health court case Trajano D’Mello on Friday made public a document dated February 28, 2018, signed by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in which Parrikar authorises the Principal Secretary to the CM to append his signature on files till further orders. The document was obtained under RTI and Adv de Sa said that the document wasn’t made known to him until after the HC verdict on Thursday.
The note, sent to the Chief Secretary, with copies to the principal secretary to the CM, and secretary to the CM, reads, “I have been advised by the doctors treating me to avoid physical contact with files for the time being on account of possibility of secondary infection as part of the ongoing treatment.”
In the second paragraph, Parrikar continues, “I have therefore authorised Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and in his absence Secretary to Chief Minister to record my decision/directions on the government correspondence including files/notes and append his signature for disposal of the same till further orders.”
D’Mello, at a press conference, pointed out that this fact of the CM not being able to sign files was kept hidden from the High Court by former Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma. Adv de Sa said that the document procured corroborates with the stand of the petitioner (D’Mello) who had said that the Chief Minister had not being signing files himself.
D’Mello has said that as far as further action is concerned, he will approach the Supreme Court to make the “real health status” of the CM public.
The High Court had on Thursday upheld the Chief Minister’s right to privacy and had remarked that the PIL filed by D’Mello was either a “publicity interest litigation”, a “private interest litigation”, or a “political interest litigation” but could not be termed a “public interest litigation.”
The HC’s order also said that ill health did not make a constitutional authority incapable of occupying a constitutional post.
