Advocate General of Goa Atmaram Nadkarni has managed to arm twist the Law Secretary not to respond to the queries raised by Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on the very high fees being paid to him. After making a comparative study with other States, CAG through two reminders has sought an urgent explanation and justification from the Goa Government on the extremely high fees being paid to Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni.
Goa Government paid Atmaram Nadkarni by way of fees and other allowances a whopping Rs 2,055,9032 (two crores fifty five lakhs nine thousand and thirty two rupees) for the two years from March 2012 to March 2014. The Government also spent a further Rs 10,14,869 (ten lakhs fourteen thousand eight hundred and sixty nine rupees) on the airfare for the 17 trips made to Delhi by Atmaram Nadkarni from January 2013 to March 2014 by Business class while even the Chief Minister travels Economy class. Goa despite being the smallest state is not only hosting India's highest paid Advocate General but the country's highest paid public servant too. The President of India gets Rs 1,50,000 a month, the Chief Justice of India Rs 1,00,000 and a High Court Judge Rs 80,000. But Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni pockets up to a whopping eight lakhs a month besides Rs 75,000 a day on his every visit to Delhi. This is nothing short of a day light criminal loot and plunder of the State’s exchequer. The post of Advocate General is not to make money. Persons have held it for honour by getting paid even a token Re 1 per month. If Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has any valid and tenable justification for these high fees being swallowed by the Atmaram Nadkarni he should place it before CAG and see the response. Atmaram Nadkarni by his acts of commission and commission has taken the high constitutional post of Advocate General to the gutters. Alike the politicians he even got the public to sponsor the expenses of his 50th birthday which was hosted at the Taj Fort Aguada in Sinquerim. Professional ethics demands that a person occupying the high and solemn constitutional post as Advocate General should never appear for a private party in a case where the government is directly or even indirectly a party. Once appointed as Advocate General he cannot have a penchant for raking in the moolah by any unholy means. The Advocate General is a very high Constitutional authority and should never be someone who has a lust and greed for wealth or having vested interest with any lobby but has always to ensure the State’s best interests at heart. As a role model to the legal fraternity he has to uphold impeccable integrity and the highest ethical standards. He being an important functionary in the legal system and in the dispensation of justice, his conduct at all times must be absolutely beyond any shadow of doubt. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com Or airesrodrig...@yahoo.com You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires