Herald Goa: Panjim: Monday, 01 August 2022.
The Goa government has refused to disclose details of expenditure incurred in holding a two-day orientation programme for the legislators ahead of the two-week-long Monsoon Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly which concluded on July 22.
Advocate Aires Rodrigues, who had applied for information under the Right To Information (RTI) Act on June 28, 2022, was denied the information claiming that the information sought is exempt from disclosure as it falls within the ambit of Section 8 (1) (c) of the RTI Act and Rule 37 (16) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly.
The two-day training workshop for MLAs was held on June 27-28 at a starred hotel in the capital city and Rodrigues sought complete details of the expenditure incurred on the event.
“Mohan Gaonkar, the Public Information Officer (PIO) at the Legislature Secretariat, has informed that the disclosure of the information would cause breach of Privilege of State Legislature and also against the Rules of Conduct of Business of Goa Legislative Assembly,” the applicant said.
Pointing out that denial of the information was in rank violation of the RTI Act; Adv Rodrigues has stated that this veil of secrecy being unacceptable, an appeal would be filed against the denial of the information by the PIO.
He recalled that the Legislature Secretariat had earlier furnished him the information pertaining to a similar two-day orientation programme conducted for Goa’s MLAs on June 8-9, 2012, at a city hotel.
The expenses for that orientation programme amounted to Rs 4,87,880 of which Rs 1,25,550 was spent on air tickets for the guest speakers and Rs 25,000 on the honorarium paid to them, while another Rs 53,265 was spent on hotel accommodation. The mementos presented to the guest speakers cost Rs 14,190, while Rs 42,450 was spent on printing, stationery, folders and banner. The video recording cost Rs 8,000, while the flower bouquets for the occasion cost Rs 6,200. An amount of Rs 2,13,225 was spent on food and refreshments for the MLAs during those two days.
The Goa government has refused to disclose details of expenditure incurred in holding a two-day orientation programme for the legislators ahead of the two-week-long Monsoon Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly which concluded on July 22.
Advocate Aires Rodrigues, who had applied for information under the Right To Information (RTI) Act on June 28, 2022, was denied the information claiming that the information sought is exempt from disclosure as it falls within the ambit of Section 8 (1) (c) of the RTI Act and Rule 37 (16) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly.
The two-day training workshop for MLAs was held on June 27-28 at a starred hotel in the capital city and Rodrigues sought complete details of the expenditure incurred on the event.
“Mohan Gaonkar, the Public Information Officer (PIO) at the Legislature Secretariat, has informed that the disclosure of the information would cause breach of Privilege of State Legislature and also against the Rules of Conduct of Business of Goa Legislative Assembly,” the applicant said.
Pointing out that denial of the information was in rank violation of the RTI Act; Adv Rodrigues has stated that this veil of secrecy being unacceptable, an appeal would be filed against the denial of the information by the PIO.
He recalled that the Legislature Secretariat had earlier furnished him the information pertaining to a similar two-day orientation programme conducted for Goa’s MLAs on June 8-9, 2012, at a city hotel.
The expenses for that orientation programme amounted to Rs 4,87,880 of which Rs 1,25,550 was spent on air tickets for the guest speakers and Rs 25,000 on the honorarium paid to them, while another Rs 53,265 was spent on hotel accommodation. The mementos presented to the guest speakers cost Rs 14,190, while Rs 42,450 was spent on printing, stationery, folders and banner. The video recording cost Rs 8,000, while the flower bouquets for the occasion cost Rs 6,200. An amount of Rs 2,13,225 was spent on food and refreshments for the MLAs during those two days.
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