Panaji: The Goa Information Commission has summoned Governor Dr S S Sidhu for claiming that the Right to Information Act didnt apply to his office.Such a summon to the holder of highest constitutional office in a state is perhaps unprecedented. The panel took umbrage at the governors bid to escape accountability under RTI by claiming that his office wasnt a public authority as defined in the law.
The governors stand flies in the face of the Act under which all government offices,including Rashtrapati Bhavan,PMO and SC,are public authorities.The only organisations exempted are the intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces.
On Wednesday,the commission sent the notice directing the governor to personally appear before the state chief information commissioner at 10.30am on January 4,2011.This was after the governors office blocked information sought by social activist Aires Rodrigues on a case related to advocate-general Subodh Kantak.Rodrigues subsequently moved state information commission headed by Motilal Keny,a retired sessions judge from Mumbai,on Tuesday.The complainant said he was refused information under RTI on the grounds that the governor wasnt a public authority and didnt come within the purview of the transparency law.Rodrigues in his application had also sought copies of noting sheets and correspondence pertaining to the processing of his complaints against the AG.The notice sent to the governor,a copy of which is with TOI,said: You are required to appear before this commission in person and not to depart hence without leave of the commission and you are hereby warned that if you shall,without just excuse,neglect or refuse to appear on the aforesaid date and time,failing which the complaint will be decided in your absence.
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(SOURCE-TOI)
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