SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Deputy Solicitor General Adv Pravin Faldessai on Tuesday rejected the charge by Opposition leaders of committing contempt of court for OCI card registration since “neither the regional passport officer was aware nor the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) could inform us about the corrigendum was aware of the April 30 corrigendum issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MER), New Delhi”.
Speaking to O Heraldo, Adv Faldessai said, “We received the previous circular dated April 4, 2024, issued by MEA after a fortnight. It is not that circulars issued are received immediately and it takes time. Neither the regional passport officer was aware nor FRRO could inform us and we also did not receive it.”
“So, because it was not received, on May 6 we could not produce it before the High Court when it heard five writ petitions. Neither was it available the next day. I had physically not received the corrigendum until the passport officer sent it to me. But this was after the hearing was completed in the High Court,” he said.
Asserting that it was not a wilful or a deliberate act by the government not to place the corrigendum before the Court, Adv Faldessai said, “We are not politically motivated. The fact is, it remained to be produced in Court and of course we are not running away from our responsibility. We have to go back and tell the Court about the corrigendum dated April 30, 2024, issued by MEA and we will try to find out some way out from this. Some decision will come from the Government of India in favour of the people of Goa.”
When asked whether the corrigendum diluted the earlier circular, dated April 4, 2024, issued by the MEA whereby the MHA had decided to accept ‘Revocation Certificates’ instead of ‘Surrender Certificates’ and whether the government will go back to the High Court, Adv Faldessai said, “Let us see. We are considering what is to be done. Because the corrigendum dated April 30, 2024, does not take away what is given in the April 4, 2024, circular. The circular is still under consideration of the Government of India. Let us wait for the government to make a decision.”
