Rs 25 lakh spent on 2-day training for MLAs

PANAJI: The two-day training workshop for MLAs cost the state exchequer almost Rs 25 lakh, with Rs 5 lakh being spent on just administrative fees.

RTI documents show that apart from Rs 80,000 for photography and Rs 3,400 for photo frames for two first-time MLAs, the Goa legislature secretariat spent Rs 24.9 lakh on the workshop, held at a resort in Panaji, on June 27 and 28 last year.

The state legislature secretariat selected Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini to organise the workshop, according to the RTI documents obtained by activist Aires Rodrigues. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is the organisation’s chairman.

As per the information provided by the state legislature, six speakers led the training workshop on whom a total of Rs 4.5 lakh was spent as travelling, honorarium, food and accommodation costs, while Rs 2 lakh was spent on stage decor and an additional Rs 5 lakh was spent on meals for the MLAs during the two-day event.

After being denied information by the Goa legislature secretariat citing breach of privilege, advocate Aires Rodrigues approached the state chief information commission for a copy of the file notings and correspondence pertaining to the training workshop along with details of the expenditure.

The state chief information commissioner Vishwas Satarkar asked the legislature secretariat to furnish the information sought by Rodrigues.

“Interestingly the documents do not make mention of the rent paid for hiring of the premises at the resort,” Rodrigues said.