RTI REVEALS PANDURANG NADKARNI’S BIO-DATA FOR SIC FALSIFIED.

By Aires Rodrigues


Mr. Pandurang Rauji Nadkarni in his application for the post of Goa State Information Commissioner has falsely inflated his biodata. This has been revealed in the information obtained from the Information Department under the Right to Information Act.


Mr. P.R.Nadkarni in his bio data had stated that he was a member on the Local Managing committee of S.S.Dempo College of Commerce and Economics from 1996 to date and that he also is a Member of the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Board.

It has been now verified that Mr. Nadkarni is neither a member of the Local Managing Committee of S.S. Dempo College of Commerce nor a member of the Goa Board. Infact, Mr. Nadkarni’s entire biodata should now be examined by an independent authority to check the authenticity of its contents. Inquiries have been made in Mr. P.R. Nadkarni’s hometown of Dharbandoda about his academic proficiency and the initial reports are very disturbing.


The documents obtained under the RTI Act has also revealed that the advertisement calling for applications for the post of Information Commissioner was issued on 17th April and that Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni submitted his application only on 30th April which was the last day for submitting applications. The documents also reveal that Mr. P.R.Nadkarni had resigned from his current job as Director of Manipal Academy of Health & Education before applying for the post of State Information Commissioner.


Has the Chief Minister guaranteed the job of Information Commissioner to Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni as a trade off on the Meduim of Instruction issue. Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni who is a prominent leader of Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) was the petitioner in the MOI petition before the Bombay High Court recently.

Section 15 (6) of the Right to Information Act requires that the State Information Commissioner shall not be connected with any political party. Mr. P.R. Nadkarni has in his application not disclosed his close association with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.


Interestingly the minutes of the meeting of the pre-selection Committee headed by Chief Secretary held on 17th May 2012 states that the committee considered 28 applications. However the records show that only 26 had applied for the post. The identity of the other two candidates is not known

The file recommending Mr. P.R Nadkarni’s name as State Information Commissioner is being sent to the Goa Raj Bhavan for Governor B.V.Wanchoo’s approval. The Governor is the appointing authority and administers the oath to the Information Commissioner. The Governor can accept or reject the name proposed by the Government for the post of State Information Commissioner.


It is now abundantly clear that the recommendation of Mr. P.R. Nadkarni’s name for the post of Information Commissioner was politically motivated and based on nepotism rather than merit. Governor Wanchoo in public interest should direct the Goa Government to re-examine the entire selection process so that, as required by law, only a highly competent person is appointed as the Information Commissioner.

The State Information Commissioner being a quasi-judicial authority, it would be impossible for a person without wide knowledge and experience of law to function in the position. Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni has no knowledge or experience of law whatsoever

THE LATE PUNAJI ACHREKAR.

In the recent death in Goa of Punaji Achrekar, yet one more hardcore remnant of Maharastrawadi Gomantak Party was finished from this planet. MGP was formed in Goa immediately following the illegal annexation of Goa by Bharat not more to merge Goa with Marathi oriented Maharastra but more to marginalize and liquidate systematically the Christians and its influence from Goa. It was wrongly given to understand that during Portuguese era Goan Christians enjoyed better facilities but in reality it was not so.

Men like Dayananda Bandodkar himself a beneficiary of Portuguese Government largesse was instrumental in creating this anti-Christian opinion into the minds of lower cadre Hindus who later on supported the Zalach Payije Movement during Opinion Poll. This Zalalch Payije movement supporters thought Goan Christians enjoyed better facilities during Portuguese time and for this they have to punish Goan Christians by merging Goa with Maharastra thereby liquidating the identity of Goa and making Marathi as official language of Goa which is the weakness of Christians.


Christians in Goa were not conversant in Marathi, only Hindus know this language and if it is made as an official language of Goa, then Christians will lose all the opportunities and thus they become slaves of Hindus in Goa.

That Christians enjoyed better facilities in Goa during the Portuguese rule was a wrong opinion. Only Christian Brahmins and Bhattkars enjoyed better facilities in Goa during Portuguese time while others not. The entire commercial sector of Goa was into the hands of Goan Hindus during the Portuguese era; the entire mining industry was into the hands of Hindus; best of job opportunities in the government sector were into the hands of Hindus. The Hindus especially the upper level Hindus played a dominant role in Goa during the Portuguese era being very close to Portuguese government.

Punaji Achrekar was one of the members of MGP working very hard to implement MGP’s manifesto. He was very close to Bandodkar who was listening to Punaji’s advices very easily. Bandodkar used him to counter the Catholic’s influence in Calangute constituency since Punaji’s village Saligao was in Calangute constituency. He was acting as informer to Bandodkar. Bandodkar was not afraid of 12 gigantic members of UG in the Assembly but was afraid of Konkani Tiatro Trio of Conception-Nelson-Anthony because their trio songs could easily shake Bandodkar and MGP influence in Goa.

Punaji Acrekar and my late brother Josemarie were very good friends. During Portuguese time they both were working together in Sanvordem in mining industry. In order to woo more members from our side towards MGP, he tried to influence my brother towards MGP even once proposing an Electrion ticket of MGP to my brother for Calangute constituency. But true to his principle, my brother flatly refused all the anti-UG approaches of Punaji but remained a good friend of Punaji and Punaji also maintained the same keeping aside his political leanings.

"DOLOROSA" was the new Tiatro of Nelson and the first show was at Mapusa. Bandodkar told Punaji to go for this Triatro and watch carefully what trio songs the trio kings will sing against MGP and feed me back. As a good friend Punaji called my brother to accompany him for this tiatro and fortunately for me my brother took me also along with them to watch this tiatro Dolorosa staged first time in the history on Moving Stage. The point of citing this incident was to know how close he was to Bandodkar and how much Bandodkar was careful and afraid of the Trio Kings ‘Zupattis’.

Punaji Acrekar was terribly afraid of Bandodkar. It was not he only but all the MLA’s and Ministers in his cabinet were terribly afraid of Bandodkar who was acting like Salazar. Bandodkar was treating his MLA’s as dirt even insulting and humiliating them openly with derogatory remarks. One day I was playing in the final at Candolim soccer ground, the final was between Saligao and Candolim. As a Law Minister Prataphtsingh Rane was the Chief Guest. Punaji Achrekar an MLA that time and as a Saligaokar was seated next to Rane.

Suddenly there was a fight on the ground between one Candolim Player and one Saligao player, both started kicking each other leading to fist fight. Then the crowd descended on the ground leading to free for all. There was total chaos on the ground. Supporters of Saligao were irresistible. Rane the chief guest left from his seat and entered the ground to pacify the crowd especially the supporters of Saligao.

When Rane found it difficult to stop the chaos, from one side of the ground with anger he screamed to Saligao supporters on the other side of the ground saying loudly at the top of his voice thus: ‘Aum tumkam biena re, aunvui zogoddpi, aum adim Khusti khelpi, aum tumkam biena re’. Listening this threat of Rane, Saligao supporters started to boo Rane for which Rane got humiliated and turned towards Punaji who was close to him on the ground. Then Rane asked Punaji thus: ‘Achrekar, he sogle lokh tumche, tujean tankam somzaunk zaina? Aum hem soglem vochun Bahuk sangtolom’.

When Rane issued this threat to Punaji Achrekar by taking the name of Bahu (Bandodkar), Puaji was totally shattered with fear of Bahu. I was next to Punaji and from close angle I noticed Punaji was trembling and with his trembling lips he asked Rane thus: ‘Anvem kitem kelam, anvem kitem kelam?’ That was the fear of Bandodkar to his MLA’s whom he treated like slaves including Punaji Achrekar.

Though he was a MLA yet he had humility in him by living a simple life. During those days MLA’s of MG and UG were not on looting spree as they are doing now. Those days MLA’s were strict to their parties principles. UG MLA’s were fighting to save Goa from the clutches of MG and MG MLA’s in turn were fighting to liquidate the identity of Goa, Punaji was one of them. Looting Goa was not much in their minds. They did not mint illegal money for them and for their families by looting Goa and Goans as the current politicians are doing.

After the Assembly Sessions in Punaji Achrekar was coming from Secretariat Building by walking right up the Ferryboat and from Betim he was taking the last Bus at 8.00 PM going to Calangute via Saligao. Many times when I was coming in the same Bus after finishing the football match when I was playing for SESA, I used to meet him, sometimes we both occupying the same seat. That was the simplicity of MLA Punaji Acrekar even though he was an MLA.

With the death of Punaji Achrekar, yet another stalwart of anti-Goan and anti-Christian party MGP is gone forever.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.

BJP’S PANDURANG NADKARNI SELECTED AS STATE INFORMATION COMMISISONER

 By Aires Rodrigues


The three member high level committee comprising of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane and Urban Development Minister Francis D’ Souza today selected a staunch BJP supporter Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni as the next State Information Commissioner. During Mr. Parrikar’s earlier tenure as Chief Minister Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni was appointed as Chairman of Goa SSC Board.

The selection of Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni for the post of State Information Commissioner would now go to the Goa Governor B V Wanchoo for his approval he being the appointing authority.

27 had applied for the post of State Information Commissioner which draws a salary equivalent to the Chief Secretary of around Rs 1, 20,000 a month and has a term of five years.

A committee headed by Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava had short listed three names from the 27 who applied. The candidates short listed were an IAS officer Mr. D.C.Sahoo who has retired on 31st May, Dr Pradip Padwal former Director of Goa AIDS Society and Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni. It may be recalled that Mr. Sahoo in 2001 while Managing Director of Industrial Development Corporation was allegedly caught red handed accepting a bribe by the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

It is a sad day for the RTI movement in the State as the selection of the State Information Commissioner was not on merit but a political choice. The Lokayukta and Information Commission needs to be totally free from political control. The unjust and unfair manner in which the Information Commissioner has been handpicked by the Chief Minister is a matter of concern.

The recently retired Principal of Salgaoncar College of Law Dr. Marian Pinheiro, has been deliberately sidelined though evidently being the most qualified and suitable for the post from amongst the list of 27 applicants.

Section 15(5) of the RTI Act requires that the State Information Commissioner should be a person of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.

The selection process for such an important position could not have been a mere cosmetic exercise. The Right to Information Act being a vital evolving law it is imperative that the State Information Commissioner should be a person with a sound legal background.

In view of the lack of transparency and accountability in such appointments, the Supreme Court has recently expressed the need to select the Information Commissioner in a very transparent manner.
Amongst the 27 who had applied for the post of Goa State Information Commissioner were former Principal of Sanjay School Anyssia Viegas, former government servants N.P Varde, K.B Surjuse, Narayan Narvekar, Vishwanth Sawant, former Judge Sudin Sangodkar, a teacher Sarvanand Sawant Desai and a Chartered Accountant Surendra Kerkar. Former State Consumer Commission member Sandra Correia and a current member Dhananjay Jog also applied along with Suresh Raikar, R.B.Shirwaikar, Vijay Gaonkar, Vinita Harlankar besides social activists John Filipe Pereira and Juino de Souza. Six advocates who had thrown their hat in the ring are Julius Gomes, Sanjiv Sardesai, M.S.Joshi, Cynthia Pereira, Krutika Kande and Gynasham Poi. Applications for the State Information Commissioner’s post had to be submitted to the Director of Information and incidentally the current Information Director Mr. Menino Peres who is due to retire later this year had himself also applied for the coveted post.