The Goa Raj Bhavan has informed Adv. Aires Rodrigues that letters written by former Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik to Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister were not available.
In his application under the Right to Information Act, Adv. Aires Rodrigues had sought from Raj Bhavan copies of all the official letters written by Governor Malik to PM and HM during his tenure from 3rd November 2019 to 18th August 2020.
The Public Information Officer at the Raj Bhavan has informed Adv. Rodrigues that the information sought by him was searched but is not available in the files and records of the Raj Bhavan.
The Raj Bhavan has further informed Adv. Rodrigues that there is system of Governor directly writing to the higher authorities and that copies of such confidential and personal correspondence is not usually handed over to the Governor’s Secretariat.
Pointing out that the reply received from Raj Bhavan was absolutely unacceptable, Adv. Rodrigues has today stated that he would file an appeal against the reply received from the Public Information Officer as the information sought by him was very much part of the Raj Bhavan records.
Expressing concern as to how those letters have now gone missing, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the information sought by him would reveal copies of letters written by then Governor Satya Pal Malik to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the corruption and illegalities by the Pramod Sawant government.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that he would assist the Raj Bhavan to trace those letters and if need be the assistance of then Governor Satya Pal Malik could also be sought.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the people of Goa are entitled to know the entire contents of those letters written by Satya Pal Malik as Governor of Goa to the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister as these letters are not exempt from disclosure in terms of Section 8 of the RTI Act.
