The State government has paid over Rs. 11.93 crore as professional fees to 11 advocates, including three Advocate-Generals arguing for Karnataka before the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal since the hearing on the dispute began from 2012-13 to 2015-16, according to a RTI disclosure. The amount includes the cost of hotel accommodation and travel expenses of the advocates.
As per the information obtained from the Office of the Chief Engineer, Water Resources Development Organisation, Bengaluru, under the RTI Act by the RTI activist Bhimappa Gadad of Belagavi recently (the copies of which were shared with the media here on Friday), the highest fee of Rs. 2,60,30,000 was paid to senior advocate F.S. Nariman, Rs. 2,41,58,828 to Mohan V. Katarki, and Rs.1,14,52,900 to senior advocate S.S. Javali (all three are based in New Delhi). The lowest fee of Rs. 1 lakh was paid to Madhusudhan R. Naik (Bengaluru), the present Advocate-General.
Mr. Bhimappa, quoting from official information, said Rs. 6.1 lakh and Rs. 30.75 lakh went to Advocate-Generals S. Vijay Shankar and Ravivarma Kumar (both Bengaluru) respectively; Rs. 67,99,534 to Brijesh Kallappa (New Delhi); Rs. 41,05,000 to S.C. Sharma (New Delhi); Rs. 1,04,37,085 to Anitha Shenoy (New Delhi); Rs. 82,75,437 to Nishanth Patil (New Delhi), Advocate on Record; Rs. 80,49,499 to M.B. Zirali (Belagavi); and Rs. 27,47,426 to Kashi Visveshwar (New Delhi).
In addition to this, the government spent Rs. 2,60,30,000 towards the cost of clerkage charge (10 per cent of professional fees).
The highest fee of Rs. 2.6 crore was paid to senior advocate Fali S. Nariman, while the lowest fee of Rs. 1 lakh went to Madhusudhan R. Naik, the present Advocate-General of Karnataka
The highest fee of Rs. 2.6 crore was paid to senior advocate Fali S. Nariman, while the lowest fee of Rs. 1 lakh went to Madhusudhan R. Naik, the present Advocate-General of Karnataka
