Govt feels the heat, to cut AG’s fees
BY HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, APRIL 28 — It appears the Government has finally realised its mistake
over the fees of Advocate General.
Law Minister Dayanand Narvekar told Herald that the fee of Rs 8000 per case per
day being paid to the Advocate General for appearance in the High Court would
be reduced as the fee is “exorbitant.”
The reduced fee structure will be made applicable from April 1, 2008.
He said the law department is working out to cut down the current fee and to
come out with a new fee structure.
On Sunday, the Herald highlighted how the AG’s fee for appearance in the High
Court for civil and criminal matters, was raised from Rs 3000 per case per day
to Rs 8000 per case per day. The proposal moved in August 2004 during the BJP
regime, received financial approval in December-end 2004 when Manohar Parrikar
was the chief minister as well as the finance minister.
The file was reactivated a year later after Rane government came back to power
and the same proposal was approved by the Congress-led Cabinet in September
2006 with Narvekar as the law minister. The only difference was that it was
made with retrospective effect from 1 April 2005 instead of 1 April 2004 as
proposed by Parrikar. Interestingly, Finance Secretary Dharmendra Sharma in
early December 2004 has in his noting had suggested that notifications of
neighbouring states on AG’s fee structure should be sought by the law
department.
Meanwhile, government’s investigations into the allegations of double billing
against the Advocate General Subodh Kantak have almost reached the last stage.
The matter is being probed by the law department.
“Investigation has been initiated as assured in the assembly and it is likely
to be completed in the next fifteen days,” Narvekar said.
With several cases in the High Court, Adv Kantak’s bill for less than two and a
half year, which was paid by the government, was as high as Rs 2.25 crore.
Adv Kantak is accused of submitting a bill for 103 cases in the Saleli uprising
matter in a single hearing, going by the number of accused in the case.
As per the laid down procedure, the AG submits a statement of his appearance to
the High Court whose registry then issues a certificate of appearance after
checking with its record. The bills are then forwarded to the law department
for scrutiny before the Accounts Department is intimated.
Adv Aires Rodrigues who is facing a civil suit as well as criminal case filed
by Adv Kantak, has stated that even Maharshtra AG’s fee is Rs 5,000 per case to
a maximum of Rs 7,000 per day.
---- Pravin K. Sabnis
visit: www.unlearningunlimited.blogspot.com
www.poems-pravinsabnis.blogspot.com
www.monday-muse.blogspot.com
www.amkanakasez.blogspot.com
Explore your hobbies and interests. Go to
http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/
