Despite the fact that the Goa Government has almost two football teams of
Government Advocates in the High Court, seldom can they be seen addressing
the Court on merits of any matter. Except for one or two, the rest merely
occupy the front row and flock around Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni and
rest like candle-stands awaiting His Master's diktats.
The Goa government pays Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni over a crore a
year and further lakhs of rupees are squandered on the government advocates
most of whom are only good for seeking adjournments. Dattaprasad Lawande
who is a close relative of Atmaram Nadkarni besides being the Government
Advocate in the High Court and also the Additional Public Prosecutor was
recently further crowned as Assistant Solicitor General (ASG) to defend the
Central government before the High Court. As to how Narendra Modi allowed
this manipulation apparently by Atmaram Nadkarni in connivance with Manohar
Parrikar is a big question.
Dattaprasad Lawande as Additional Public Prosecutor itself gets a flat
salary of one lakh a month though he rarely appears in any criminal matter.
Besides further pocketing a bumper as the Government Advocate he now also
additionally milks the exchequer as the Assistant Solicitor General. All
these titles are ornamental just to draw in the huge moolah but all he does
is be a very obedient page boy of his relative Atmaram Nadkarni at all
times who does all the talking and the scribbling.
In all other states the Advocate General appears only in important and
Constitutional matters while the other government advocates take care of
other matters. But in Goa Atmaram Nadkarni appears in almost every matter
as he pockets Rs 10,000 every time he stands up in the High Court. His
battalion of over twenty advocates stand up only to adjourn matters and
that is what they are possibly only trained for.
The very knowledgeable and extremely dignified Government Advocate Amey
Kakodkar decided to put in his papers possibly for not being able to cope
up and submit to Atmaram Nadkarni’s manipulation and tantriks. The other
experienced hand Manish Salkar is hardly assigned any cases as it is the
Writ of Atmaram Nadkarni that prevails. Are we heading for the old adage
"My ship, My order"?
Aires Rodrigues
Advocate High Court
C/G-2, Shopping Complex
Ribandar Retreat,
Ribandar – Goa – 403006
Mobile No: 9822684372
Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012
Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com
Or
airesrodrig...@yahoo.com
You can also reach me on
Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues
Twitter@rodrigues_aires
