Goa’s Chief Information Commissioner Prashant Prabhu Tendolkar has been booked by Officials of the Transport Department 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 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 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 filed a complaint was filed against 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.
Prashant Tendolkar in clear defiance of law and in gross contempt of the Supreme Court’s order was illegally using the red beacon. The law enforcement officers though fully aware of this blatant violation had earlier not taken action against Prashant Tendolkar just because he is politically well connected with the BJP.
Prashant Prabhu Tendolkar has lost all moral authority to continue as the Goa’s Chief Information Commissioner after having knowingly and intentionally violated the law and having been caught in contempt of the Supreme Court order by misusing the red beacon.
