Are Information Commissioners entitled to use a red beacon over their official vehicles?
12 Feb, 2016Officials of the Transport Department today booked and issued a challan to Goa’s Chief Information Commissioner Prashant Prabhu Tendolkar for illegally using a red beacon on his official vehicle GA-07-G-5555. Officials of the Panaji Enforcement wing of the Transport Department led by Motor Vehicles Inspector Prakash Ambre today swung into action and after finding Tendolkar’s official vehicle parked below the office of the State Information Commission booked it under Section 108 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
The action followed a directive issued by Deputy Director of Transport Prakash Azavedo last evening directing Transport department officials across Goa to detect the said vehicle for using the red beacon illegally and to take action as per the provisions of law.
On 9th Feb, a complaint was filed against Goa’s Chief Information Commissioner Prashant Prabhu Tendolkar for illegally and blatantly using a red beacon on his official vehicle GA-07-G-5555 in clear defiance of law and amounting to a gross contempt of the Supreme Court’s order. In the complaint jointly addressed to the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and the Director of Transport, it was pointed out that the Supreme Court has flagged the red card over the blatant misuse of the red beacon.
It was further pointed out that in accordance with the Supreme Court order the Goa Government by a notification issued on 3rd July 2014 notified the list of persons entitled to use the red beacon on their official vehicle and that as per that notification only allowed to use the red beacon are the Governor, Chief Minister and Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Chief Justice and Judges of the High Court, Leader of Opposition, Advocate General and the Chief Secretary.
Aires Rodrigues
Advocate High Court