NEW DELHI, Nov 16: Advocate General of Meghalaya, Amit Kumar today debunked BJP’s claim that the state is running “extravagant expenditure” for him and maintained that all payments made to him are as per set rules of the government itself.
“The fees paid by the state government to me are for professional services rendered by me to the State over a period of more than two years and not just for one case or one appearance or one opinion,” Kumar who is a senior advocate in the Supreme Court said.
“Again these fees are in consonance with my experience at the bar of more than twenty-five years and stature.”
The fee has been paid for each professional work and the same is as per rules/notification/order of the government and in no case can be termed as ‘extravagant’, Kumar added.
Giving details the AG said that he has appeared and argued as many as 1,123 times in various cases for the state in the last two years.
The state government has also succeeded in persuading the Supreme Court, NGT and High Court of Meghalaya in appreciating its stand and in most of the cases, the state has got favourable order, Kumar said in a statement.
In fact the state was able to save hundreds of crores of rupees like in cases of land acquisition, airport matters and most recently MTET cases due to proper legal services.
“I have been receiving requests from almost all departments of the government to handle their cases because as a client, they are satisfied with my professional services,’’ he said.
Incidentally, Kumar has been made part of a number of committees like encroachment of public land in Bara Bazar, review of constitutional shaping number of policies including the recent policies on health issues.
“I have been trying to streamline all cases of the government in the High Court and Supreme Court and such efforts will also result in saving huge funds of the exchequer,” the AG said.
He also denied wild allegations that he is always stationed in Delhi and said that “it would not have been possible for me to appear in person in Meghalaya High Court, draft opinions, hold meetings in Meghalaya by sitting in Delhi.”
KHNAM MLA, Adelbert Nongrum, through an RTI application had revealed that crore of rupees has been spent in conducting drafting, advice/opinion, vetting and meetings in the High Court of Meghalaya, NGT and Supreme Court.
The AG also denied any substance in the case of SR Marak.