PANAJI
Former mayor and senior corporator Surendra Furtado had objected to a proposed move by the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to engage the services of senior advocates, claiming that payment of huge fees was not needed and would affect the coffers of the corporation.
Furtado has threatened to file legal proceedings challenging the resolution of the CCP in the interest of the corporation and public, if the CCP does not reply to his objection within seven days.
In a letter to the CCP on Thursday, Furtado said in the minutes of the meeting on July 2, five names of senior advocates were mentioned but no records were mentioned in the minutes to ask all of them to give a fee structure.
He said the CCP had passed a resolution fixing a fee structure for the payment of advocates, comprising Rs 1.6 lakh per appearance for the senior advocate and Rs 25,000 for an associate, adding that these amounts were exorbitant.
"The financial liability and budgetary provision for annual legal fees have not been considered.
Engaging senior advocates with such payment of huge fee is not necessary and shall affect coffers of the corporation,” said Furtado.
During the CCP meeting, Furtado had objected to the engagement of advocates.
Stating that the corporation has fixed a fee structure for payment of advocates, Furtado added: “Cases of the corporation are dealt by advocates on a panel of the corporation and there is one in-house advocate who deals with most matters in subordinate courts and other advocates appear in the high court and other courts, who have successfully dealt with cases accepting the fixed fees.”
“At no point in time, any of the advocates have found the requirement of engaging senior advocates when involving questions of law and high stakes which cannot be dealt with by the advocates on a panel of the CCP,” he added.
Furtado pointed out that the government has a fee structure for government advocates and the advocate general. Under the notification, he said their fee of appearance ranges from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000 per appearance in the high court.
He claimed that many corporations like EDC, Infotech Corporation, Goa Housing Board and Goa Tourism Development Corporation have fixed fee structures and hence, CCP as a corporation cannot bypass the fee structure and appoint senior advocates for every case.
