Times of India: Mumbai: Wednesday, 26 May 2021.
State Congress president Nana Patole on Tuesday took on Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over nominations to the legislative council.
Patole said his attention had been drawn to a letter by Raj Bhavan public information officer and under-secretary Jairaj Choudhary to RTI activist Anil Galgali. Choudhary informed Galgali that the information sought by him was not available with the public information officer (administration), as such, and it can’t be given. “I have been told that the information sought by Galgali is not available with Choudhary, but available with the Governor, who is suppressing the list. The episode reflects the collapse of administration at Raj Bhavan,’’ Patole said.
Galgali had submitted an application under RTI on April 20, 2021, to the Raj Bhavan public information officer. He sought the list of nominees submitted by senior cabinet members to Raj Bhavan on November 6, 2020, for nomination to the legislative council. Choudhary informed Galgali that the list was not available with his office and that if he was not satisfied by the reply, he can file an appeal before the competent authority.
Galgali had also knocked on the doors of the chief minister and chief minister’s office for securing information, but he was refused the information as no final decision has been taken on the nominations. It appears it was error on the part of the PIO, since the office of the PIO can’t be separated from Raj Bhavan, as pointed out by Patole.
A senior bureaucrat said it was a piquant situation for Raj Bhavan owing to prolonged delay in taking a decision on nominations. “No doubt, no time-frame has been fixed for taking a decision on the recommendation made by the cabinet, but it is expected that the decision will be taken in a reasonable period. A reply too will have to be submitted before the high court following a public interest litigation,’’ he said.
“The governor can approve a few names and send back the remaining to the government for more information,’’ he said.
State Congress president Nana Patole on Tuesday took on Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over nominations to the legislative council.
Patole said his attention had been drawn to a letter by Raj Bhavan public information officer and under-secretary Jairaj Choudhary to RTI activist Anil Galgali. Choudhary informed Galgali that the information sought by him was not available with the public information officer (administration), as such, and it can’t be given. “I have been told that the information sought by Galgali is not available with Choudhary, but available with the Governor, who is suppressing the list. The episode reflects the collapse of administration at Raj Bhavan,’’ Patole said.
Galgali had submitted an application under RTI on April 20, 2021, to the Raj Bhavan public information officer. He sought the list of nominees submitted by senior cabinet members to Raj Bhavan on November 6, 2020, for nomination to the legislative council. Choudhary informed Galgali that the list was not available with his office and that if he was not satisfied by the reply, he can file an appeal before the competent authority.
Galgali had also knocked on the doors of the chief minister and chief minister’s office for securing information, but he was refused the information as no final decision has been taken on the nominations. It appears it was error on the part of the PIO, since the office of the PIO can’t be separated from Raj Bhavan, as pointed out by Patole.
A senior bureaucrat said it was a piquant situation for Raj Bhavan owing to prolonged delay in taking a decision on nominations. “No doubt, no time-frame has been fixed for taking a decision on the recommendation made by the cabinet, but it is expected that the decision will be taken in a reasonable period. A reply too will have to be submitted before the high court following a public interest litigation,’’ he said.
“The governor can approve a few names and send back the remaining to the government for more information,’’ he said.
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