Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Goa Legislature Secretariat spent ₹ 24,96,500 on the two-day training workshop for MLAs held on June 27th & 28th last year at Taj Vivanta in Panaji. This has been revealed in the Information furnished to Adv. Aires Rodrigues under the Right to Information Act.
Of the total expenditure incurred, Rs 24 13, 100 was paid to Mumbai-based NGO Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, which was entrusted with organising the workshop. A further ₹ 80,000 was spent on Photography and Videography, besides Rs 3400 incurred on photos with a frame of MLAs Ulhas Tuenkar and Krishna Salkar.
As per the Information, Rajendra Arlekar, Dr Anant Kalse, Dr Harish Shetty, Mr Ram Naik, Mr Desh Deepak Verma and Mr Satish Mahana were the six speakers for the training workshop on whom a total of four and a half lakhs was spent on their travelling, honorarium, food and accommodation.
Two lakhs were spent on stage decoration and Mementos, while five lakhs were spent on Tea and lunch for the MLAs during that two-day event.
Interestingly the documents do not mention the rent paid for hiring the premises at Taj Vivanta for the event.
Adv. On June 28th last year, Aires Rodrigues sought a copy of the file notings and correspondence pertaining to the two-day training workshop for MLAs held on 27th and 28th June at the Taj Vivanta and also complete details of the expenditure incurred on the event.
The Public Information Officer (PIO) at the Goa Legislature Secretariat, Mohan Gaonkar, while declining to furnish the Information, informed Adv. Rodrigues disclosing the Information would cause a breach of Privilege of the State Legislature and would also be against Rule 37(16) of the Rules of Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly. The First Appellate Authority, the Legislature Secretary, upheld the PIO’s reply.
Adv. Rodrigues later moved the State Chief Information Commissioner, Mr Vishwas Satarkar, who, by an order on February 13th, directed the PIO at the Goa Legislature Secretariat to furnish Adv. Rodrigues the Information sought within 15 days and free of cost
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