I rest my case

Kantak doth protest too much -1

Subodh Kantak, the Advocate General says Aires Rodrigues, the lawyer, defamed him by making false allegations of double and excessive billing. You be the judge, jury and prosecutor and decide who is guilty because what Kantak charged the government (or got paid for without a murmer of protest) for the various hearings by any stretch of imagination or application of thumb rule is way beyond double or excessive. Disproportionate or inconceivable might just about be the words you are looking for. But as I write this, I just cannot find appropriate words.

Here is another point I would like to make. Governments for long have been paying lawyers fees that have no rationale or basis, neither were the fees I am told fixed with any prior knowledge or for that matter by comparing Goa's figures with other States. After Eyespy first broke the news in this column, the Chief Secretary JP Singh ordered that a comparison be made with Maharashtra and Karnataka. His logic was these are neighbouring States. So what? And what about the fact that some of Maharashtra and Karnataka's districts annual budgets would take a huge chunk out of Goa's annual budget? In other words, they have the dough. We do not. For example the following fees were paid to defend the government in the Supreme Court in writ petition no. 440/2007 Goa Democratic Alliance versus Goa government.

Anip Sachthey Rs 6,24,400, Madhu Sikri Rs33,000, Harin P. Rawal Rs 1,00,000,
Shriniwas R. Khalap Rs 2,00,000, Huzefa Ahmadi Rs 1,60,000, Anupam Lal Das Rs 33,000, KK Venugopal Rs 8,80,000, K. Parasaran Rs10,72,500. For the uninitiated, Shriniwas is the son of Ramakant Khalap. The total of what Kantak would call not excessive is Rs31,02,900, enough to solve your village's immediate needs, roads for instance even if bijli and pani that most villagers are crying out for are a given in a state like Goa.

But Kantak thinks he has the edge on being blameless and honourable. After all the legal eagles that appeared for the government are professionals. For instance Kapil Sibal, a union minister, had appeared in his legal capacity for Dayanand Narvekar some time ago and the latter got slapped with a big legal bill. Narvekar reportedly demurred saying he and Sibal are both Congressman so he should be given a discount. Sibal reportedly said he did not mix his politics and business!

So, whose fault is it? The MLAs who constantly switch sides or the Chief Ministers who approved of the enormous hikes in the retainership and the other scales of payment? I rest my case. Meanwhile, remember the Ponda autorickshaw driver who returned a huge sum of money to the man who left it behind in his rick. If you go by Kantak's reading of the law, the man ought to have taken the money home for keeps. The autorickshaw was after all his and his passenger should have known better, so on and so forth. There is a lesson here to be learnt for all. And the lesson certainly is not feeling aggrieved after accepting huge paychecks from the government.

Can't do without Kantak
Our MLAs really need to think twice before they switch sides or rather play musical chairs. Because the prize for most games politicians play goes to Kantak. Because the winner, while they squabble, and crossover is Kantak. In June 2007 for instance he was paid Rs38,500: Rs20,000 as retainership for the month, HRA Rs10,000, conference consultation Rs5,500 and another allowance of Rs3,000. I have a copy of another bill obtained under RTI which shows he was paid an extra Rs6,08,000 for the same month. In May he got Rs38,500 and Rs64,000. April Rs38,500 and Rs12,32,000. March Rs38,500 and Rs19,60,000. February Rs38,500 and Rs11,68,000. January Rs38,500 and Rs10,64,000.

In December 2006 Kantak was paid Rs38,500 and Rs10,40,000. November Rs 38,500 and Rs11,36,000. October Rs38,500 and Rs9,52,000. September Rs38,500 and Rs8,48,000. August Rs19,500 and Rs4,31,000. July Rs19,500 and Rs4,94,000. June Rs19,500 and Rs3,95,000. May 1,16,000. April Rs19,500 and Rs4,16,000. March Rs19,500 and Rs4,97,000. February Rs19,500 and Rs3,68,000 January Rs19,500 and Rs5,99,000.

In December 2005 Kantak was paid Rs19,500 and Rs3,38,000. November Rs19,500 and Rs2,03,000. In December Rs Rs19,500 and Rs2,09,000. In September Rs19,500 and Rs4,07,000. In August Rs19,500 and Rs4,46,000. In July Rs19,500 and Rs3,08,000. In June Rs9750 and Rs Rs47,000. In February Rs2,24,000.

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