Utt Goenkara will not be cowed down by intimidating and arm twisting tactics
being resorted to by Goa’s beleaguered Advocate General by filing a Civil suit
for defamation seeking Rs 15 crores.
The civil suit infact would be an opportunity to unravel Mr. Subodh Kantak’s
professional, financial and other misdeeds in Court.
All allegations made against the Advocate General are based on documentary
proof, facts and figures. It is only Subodh Kantak who could have upheld the
dignity of the high constitutional post of Advocate General but by his own acts
Mr. Kantak had brought irreparable disrepute and disgrace to the post
entrusted.
Advocate General’s statement that he would donate the 15 crores he gets from
the defamation suit to old age homes, orphanages and welfare of animals, is
amazing and one wonders whether Mr Kantak has any record of past contributions
to any charity besides the eight dogs he is caring for at his Bambolim bungalow.
Mr. Subodh Kantak’s could have proved his bonafides if he had earmarked a
percentage of his huge earnings to social causes.
If Mr. Subodh Kantak had any respect for the Advocate General’s chair he would
have volunteered to refund the Rs eight lakhs twenty four thousand paid to him
for his appearance in the High Court on 27th January 2006 in the Saleli riots
case involving the bail applications of 103 accused where the Advocate General
was paid 103 times Rs 8000 although it was factually a common argument for the
whole batch of bail applications.
Mr. Subodh Kantak has himself agreed that in the PIL challenging the
appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries, he was paid Rs 8000/- twice for
appearing on 24th July 2007.
There is a very urgent need to revise and rationalize the fees being paid to
the Goa’s Advocate General by bringing it line with other states and leaving no
loopholes for any Advocate General to financially bleed the State Exchequer.
Utt Goenkara has very rightly in public interest taken up the issue of the
exorbitant fees being paid to Goa’s Advocate General.
Mr. Subodh Kantak shoul be reminded that during the BJP rule when Mr. Kantak
was heading the Congress Party’s legal cell, it was myself who had to file
various PIL’s on people’s issues while Mr. Subodh Kantak showed no
contribution whatsoever to the Goan society by way of Public Interest
Litigations.
Besides the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) being highly critical of the
Advocate General’s conduct, the UGDP, Save Goa Front and the Shiv Sena have
also strongly reprimanded Mr.Subodh Kantak and demanded his removal from the
high constitutional post of Advocate General.
One wonders as to why Advocate General Mr. Subodh Kantak shied away from
addressing the recent session of the Goa Legislative Assembly and clarifying
his position vis a vis the huge amounts claimed by him by way of fees.
Utt Goenkara decided to take the Advocate General's fees issue to the people's
Court as filing a Public Interest Litigation was not in public interest as the
PIL would have been yet another opportunity for Advocate General Kantak to
bleed the state exchequer.
Goa’s Advocate General was paid Rs 2 crores 55 lakhs 97,012 rupees by way of
fees for June 05 to August 07. This unjustified huge amounts being paid to the
Advocate General should instead be used to provide better emoluments and
benefits to the neglected Judges, Public Prosecutors & Assistant Public
Prosecutors.
Aires Rodrigues
Ribandar
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