Goa State Information Commission

The Goa State Information Commission is a statutory body which was established by the Government of Goa in accordance with Section 15[5] of the Right to Information Act, 2005 vide notification dated 2 March 2006.[6]

Goa State Information Commission
गोंय राज्य म्हायती आयोग
Established2 March 2006[1]
LocationSeventh Floor, Kamat Towers, Patto Plaza, Panaji, Goa[2]
Mottoसूचना जनाधिकार:॥ (Soochna Janadhikaraha) Information is the right of the people. (Sanskrit)
Judge term length5 years from the date of entering office or up to 65 years of age (whichever is earlier)[3]
Websitehttp://www.gsic.goa.gov.in
State Chief Information Commissioner [4]
CurrentlyVishwas Ramnath Satarkar
State Information Commissioner
CurrentlySanjay Narayan Dhavalikar[4]

History

Goa was among the earliest states of India to enact its own State Information Act. The first states in India to enact their own State Information Acts were Tamil Nadu and Goa, in the year 1997.[7][8] However, the scope of the Goa State Information Act was limited in the sense that information could be sought only to subserve the public purpose. Under the Right to Information Act, 2005, no reasons are needed to be given while seeking information.[9]

Constitution of the Commission

The Government of Goa established the Goa State Information Commission vide notification dated 2 March 2006.[10][1] The Government appointed Mr. A. Venkatratnman, IAS (Retd.) as the Chief Information Commissioner and Mr. G. G. Kambli, a retired officer of the Goa Civil Services (Selection Grade) as the State Information Commission vide order dated 27 February 2006.[1][11] The Chief Information Commissioner Venkatratnam and the State Information Commissioner Kambli were given the oath of office by the Chief Secretary, Government of Goa, on 21 March 2006.[12]

Initially, the Commission was provided no premises by the Government. But since matters had been filed before the Commission right since its inception, the Commission started conducting the hearing of cases at the residence of the Chief Information Commissioner in order prevent hardships to the citizens. The Commission was not provided with even a computer and the Chief Information Commissioner Mr. Venkatratnam had typed the first order of the Commission on his own personal computer. Subsequently, the Commission was provided premises at the ground floor of the Shram Shakti Bhavan, Patto Plaza, Panaji. The premises at the Shram Shakti Bhavan was bereft of proper amenities and was not adequate. This led to severe criticism by media and the citizens.[1]

The Goa State Information Commission was finally shifted to a new and spacious location at the seventh floor of Kamat Towers at Patto Plaza, Panaji on 12 January 2015 and the new premises was formally inaugurated at the hands of the Chief Minister of Goa, Laxmikant Parsekar.[13][14] The Commission currently functions from its premises at Kamat Towers.[2]

Emblem

The Goa State Information Commission being an autonomous institution has chosen its own emblem. The Commission's emblem consists of a record of Public Authority kept open in two palms. It signifies that the Goa Information Commission acts as a facilitator for the citizens in accessing information. To convey the meaning that both the “notings” and the correspondence are available to the citizens, the record in the emblem is depicted as open. It also conveys that under the Right to Information Act, there is transparency in information. The palms holding the record are borrowed from the emblem of the Goa Government. The symbol between the pages denotes the propagation of information among the citizens.

The emblem bears the name of the Goa Information Commission in the Roman script and words “सूचना जनाधिकार:” in Sanskrit language (Devanagari script). The words in Devanagri script denote that information is the right of the masses.[1]

Status of Chief and State Information Commissioners

The Chief Information Commissioner enjoys status equivalent to that of the Election Commissioner of India while the State Information Commissioner Officers enjoys status equivalent to that of the Chief Secretary to the State Government.[1]

Composition of the Commission

The Goa State Information Commissioner consists of a Chief Information Commissioner and two State Information Commissioners. The Commission has a Secretary and an Under Secretary too, in addition with other administrative staff and court officials including clerks, stenos, peons etc. Currently, the posts of the Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioners are vacant.[15][16][17] Vide Order dated 4 January 2021, Vishwas Ramnath Satarkar has been appointed as the State Chief Information Commissioner and Sanjay Narayan Dhavalikar, as the State Information Commissioner.[4]

(L to R): State Information Commissioner Pratima Vernekar, State Chief Information Commissioner Prashant Sadashiv Prabhu Tendolkar, Chief Secretary of Goa R. K. Srivastava and State Information Commissioner Juino De Souza.

The Secretary of the Commission is Bala T. Korgaonkar[18] while Shashank Thakur is the Under Secretary cum Registrar[19] of the Commission.

List of State Chief Information Commissioners
List of State Chief Information Commissioners of the Goa State Information Commission[20]
S.No. Name From To
1A. VenkatratnamMarch 21, 2006March 8, 2009
2Motilal S. KenyOctober 12, 2009July 29, 2012
3Leena MehendaleOctober 24, 2013January 31, 2015
4Prashant Sadashiv Prabhu TendolkarJanuary 1, 2016February, 2020
5Vishwas SatarkarMarch 2, 2021[21]till date

List of State Information Commissioners
List of Chief Information Commissioners of the Goa State Information Commission[20]
S.No. Name From To
1G. G. KambliMarch 21, 2006January 1, 2009‡‡[22][23]
2Afonso AraujoMarch 4, 2009August 2, 2010
3Dr. Pradeep PadwalAugust 9, 2012September 13, 2012‡[24]
4Pratima K. VernekarJanuary 1, 2016December 31, 2020[15]
5Juino De SouzaJanuary 1, 2016July 4, 2020[25]
6Sanjay Narayan DhavalikarMarch 2, 2021till date[21]

Notes
  • ‡ - Date of Resignation
  • ‡‡ - Date of Death

References
  1. "First annual report. 2006-2007" (PDF). goa.gov.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2017.
  2. "Goa State Information Commission".
  3. "The Gazette of India" (PDF). goa.gov.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2017.
  4. "Archived copy" (PDF). goaprintingpress.gov.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Right to Information Act (India)". Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  6. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. goaprintingpress.gov.in/uploads/Right to Information Act 1997.pdf
  8. "CHRI: Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative".
  9. "Seven things you need to know about the RTI Act | Jaago Re".
  10. "Archived copy" (PDF). gsic.goa.gov.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "Official Gazette" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2017.
  12. "Archived copy" (PDF). www.gsic.goa.gov.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. Herald Goa
  14. "Govt to examine laws on giving extension to CIC Mehandale | the Navhind Times". 12 January 2015.
  15. "After cop body & Lokayukta, info panel turns inoperative | Goa News - Times of India". The Times of India. 4 January 2021. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021.
  16. "Goa State Information Commission". www.gsic.goa.gov.in. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  17. "Goa gets new state chief information commissioner, two state information commissioners | Goa News - Times of India". The Times of India. January 2016.
  18. "Archived copy" (PDF). goaprintingpress.gov.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. "Archived copy". www.goa.gov.in. Archived from the original on 8 April 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. Annual Report 2014. Goa State Information Commission. 2015.
  21. "Goa Governor administer oath to State Chief Information Commissioner". Archived from the original on 2 March 2021.
  22. "Herald: Pending GSIC cases: HC gives Govt week to reply". www.heraldgoa.in. Archived from the original on 7 March 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  23. "HC directs govt to fill up GSIC post | Goa News - Times of India". The Times of India. 20 January 2009.
  24. "Info Commissioner applications invited for 3rd time (By: GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI)".
  25. "GOVT SHOULD PUT FILE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN PLACE: JUINO DE SOUZA _Prudent Media Goa - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020.
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