MAPUSA
Calangute Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira on Wednesday informed that the village panchayat had decided to engage the services of an advocate to look after RTI matters and also to represent the secretary, who is the public information officer (PIO), in the Information Commission and other appellate authorities.
Sequeira also said that the Government of India allows a public authority to authorise any representative or any of its officers to present its case vis-Ã -vis RTI information.
“There was heavy workload on the panchayat secretary due to administrative work in the panchayat office. Besides, attending to the applications under the Right to Information and representing the panchayat before the appellate authorities consumed a lot of the time of the secretary who is also the PIO. The panchayat body resolved to engage an advocate to represent the secretary before the Information Commission and other authorities,” Sequeira said.
He said the panchayat also resolved that the fees of the advocate who was representing the secretary would be paid by the panchayat as it was necessary to see that the panchayat administration was not affected.
Referring to a notification released by the Ministry of Personnel, Union Government in 2012, the Sarpanch informed that the panchayat secretary was within the law in appointing a person to represent him in RTI matters.
“As per the notification, the public authority may authorise any representative or any of its officers to present its case,” he said.
The Goan had recently highlighted how several locals expressed disappointment with the Calangute panchayat for failing to provide proper information under the RTI Act, forcing them to appeal before the BDO, Bardez who is the first appellate authority. The locals also maintained that the advocate often responded by stating that the information or document demanded was not available with the panchayat.
A Calangute resident has also approached the Goa State Information Commission (GSIC) objecting to the appointment of the private advocate to represent the PIO of Calangute panchayat in the matter of RTI applications which has been fixed for hearing on June 20.
