MAPUSA
Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane on Wednesday told the Legislative Assembly that the government engages private lawyers only in complex cases and does so after consulting the Advocate General.
Responding to Opposition queries on the engagement of costly private counsel in land-related matters, Rane said senior lawyers are appointed to safeguard the State’s interests and that their appointment is undertaken in consultation with the Advocate General.
He added that in certain cases, advice is also sought from the Solicitor General.
“We hire lawyers only for complex cases. To defend the State’s interest, we need the best legal expertise available,” the minister said.
Rane further informed the House that the TCP department has spent less than 1.5 per cent of its nearly Rs 750 crore revenue on legal expenses, while contributing significantly to the State’s revenue.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, however, questioned the justification for spending large sums of public money on private lawyers.
