ITANAGAR, 14 Nov: Reacting to the news headlined ‘Raj Bhavan under scanner…’, etc, which was published by this daily on 11 November, the governor’s secretariat on Monday termed the report on the allegations “baseless, out of context, ill-conceived, and maligning.”
Claiming that the report was a “motivated attempt to tarnish the image of the governor’s secretariat,” the secretariat stated in a press release that, with regard to the selection of ADC to the governor on deputation, “the letter to the ministry of home affairs on the issue has been quoted out of context, based on its biased interpretation, with a view to portray a completely twisted and misleading picture of the letter.”
“The governor of Arunachal Pradesh has always insisted on having one Arunachali ADC, out of three ADCs authorised, in the governor’s secretariat,” it said.
“On 14 November, 2018, the date on which the said letter was written, one Arunachali officer, PN Thungdok was already serving as the ADC to the governor. After the completion of his tenure on 30 July, 2020, on the governor’s insistence, immediately another Arunachali officer, Keni Bagra, was appointed as one of the ADCs.
“With a view to render dedicated service to the people of Arunachal Pradesh, the governor has extended the tenure of Keni Bagra, to be co-terminus with him.
“Further, the letter in question was written for replacement of another ADC from the Border Security Force whose tenure was getting over. Since there was already one Arunachali officer serving as ADC and, importantly, there was a pressing need to enhance the reach of the governor to understand the wider deployment, logistics and local cooperation of the Central Armed Police Force from other Northeastern states had to be asked for.
“Consequently, another BSF officer, Deputy Commandant K Thingbaijam, who hails from Manipur, which is one of the sister Northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, was selected as ADC. Hence, the coloured interpretation of the letter on the appointment of the ADC is diametrically opposite to the facts of the case and its correct context,” the release said.
With regard to recruitment and promotions in the governor’s secretariat, the release stated that “the news item misleads the readers, ignoring the existing rules, provisions and applicable procedures.
“Section 3 of the APPSC (Limitation of Functions) Regulation, 1988, stipulates, ‘It shall not be necessary for the commission (APSSC) to be consulted in the matters relating to methods of recruitment to civil services and posts or the suitability of the candidature… appointment to the personal staff of the governor and to his secretariat.'”
“Ipso facto, the governor’s secretariat is exempted from consultation with APPSC for any Group A, B, or other posts. The notification (No AR 148/2016) dated 4 July, 2017, only enables the APPSC for recruitment for various groups of posts but it does not supersede the APPSC (Limitation of Functions) Regulation, 1988.
“Further, the cabinet approval (vide No CAB/M-5/2010, dated 13 September, 2010), with regard to creation of some Group C and D posts like LDC, driver, bearer, peon, sweeper, etc, for governor’s secretariat states: ‘The above household/secretariat staff will have to discharge their duties directly with the governor and other visiting dignitaries, including VVIPs in the Raj Bhavan. Therefore, special selection would be made as found fit by the governor to fill up the posts by candidates well trained in the respective jobs and eligible to cater to VVIPs. Therefore, usual conditions of reservation and other conditions should not be applicable to these posts’,” it said, adding that “it is highly noteworthy here that both these exemption provisions have been in place way before the swearing in of the present governor.”
“Further, as per cabinet approval (vide No CAB/M-8/2021, dated 31 August, 2021), the MTS, now Group C posts in the governor’s secretariat, are exempted from the purview of the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB) in terms of Section 6 (6) of the APSSB Act, 2018.
“All upgradations and promotions of the serving incumbents in the governor’s secretariat have been done with specific and explicit written approval of the competent authority, viz, the state cabinet, with the chief minister at its head. The state cabinet vide No CAB/M-8/2021, dated 31 August, 2021, gave the approval, keeping in view the exemptions already mentioned, for the upgradation and promotion of the present incumbent from PPS to governor as OSD to governor in the pay matrix Level 12,” it said.
“Pursuant to the above cabinet approval, the post of present incumbent principal private secretary (PPS) to governor was upgraded to the post of OSD to governor, vide No GS/Estt-64/2000 (Pt), dated 3 September, 2021. Accordingly the present incumbent, Shyam Bahadur Rana, was appointed to the post of OSD to governor vide No GS/Estt-03/2012, dated 6 September, 2021. Since the newly upgraded post of PPS to OSD to governor was merit-cum-performance based, in all fairness to merit keeping, this post was made co-terminus with the present incumbent OSD.
“The cabinet approval for creation of one post of protocol assistant, Group B, in pay matrix Level-6, in governor’s camp office in New Delhi and selection of the incumbent for filling up the post by the governor’s secretariat was duly sought for by the governor’s secretariat and was approved after threadbare deliberations by the competent authority, viz, the state cabinet with the chief minister at its head. The consultation with APPSC for the appointment of protocol assistant, Group-B, non-gazetted, for governor camp office in New Delhi already stood exempted. For appointment in this post, an inescapable prerequisite was the prior working experience in the governor’s secretariat. Accordingly, an office circular was issued, vide No GS/APTT-protocol assistant/2021, dated 29 March, 2022, inviting application from the staff of governor’s secretariat, Arunachal Pradesh.
“In response to the ibid circular, only two applications were received from (i) Sant Pun, peon, governor’s camp office, New Delhi, (ii) Sailen Paul, peon, governor’s secretariat, Itanagar. Further, for conducting the written examination for recruitment to the newly created post of protocol assistant, the best available examining body, viz, Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) was assigned the responsibility. RGU very transparently and systematically conducted the said examination. After the examination, RGU, vide No RGU/VCS/22, dated 1 May, 2022, sent the merit list of the examinees. Sant Pun, peon, was first in the order of merit in the examination. Accordingly, he was appointed to the post of protocol assistant for governor’s camp pffice, New Delhi.
“It is important to note that Sant Pun was appointed as Group C staff in the governor’s Delhi camp office way before the present governor assumed office,” the release said.
With regard to the governor’s secretariat’s proposal for keeping one Group C post vacant, the secretariat said, “it is crucial to note that the state cabinet with the chief minister at its head, in their wisdom and after careful consideration, did not find the proposal of keeping one Group C post vacant in the governor’s secretariat, necessary and expedient. Thus, the state cabinet did not stipulate the condition of keeping one Group C post vacant, while passing their approval in the matter. The decision of the state cabinet reads, ‘Creation of one post of protocol assistant, Group-B, in pay matrix Level-6, Rs 35,400-1,12,400 per month in governor’s camp office in Delhi and selection of the incumbent for filling up the post by the governor’s secretariat.”
“With reference to the appointment of videographer Group C in governor’s secretariat, the approval for creation of one post of videographer was obtained vide cabinet approval No CAB-M15/6/2020, dated 3 August, 2020. Pursuant to this cabinet approval, and as per exemption given in 2010, a departmental search-cum-selection committee was constituted with the commissioner to governor as chairman of the committee and the Itanagar Doordarshan Kendar director, the deputy secretary to governor (i/c) and PRO to governor as members of the committee.
“The committee, after their sittings and deliberations, recommended the name of Kumar Bahadur Mohra, who had been very competently serving as contingency videographer for more than seven and half years in Raj Bhavan, deputed from the department of information and public relations, government of Arunachal Pradesh, for appointment to the newly created post of videographer. Following the due process and procedures, and on the basis of recommendation of the search-cum-selection committee, Kumar Bahadur Mohra was appointed as videographer in the governor’s secretariat.
“With regard to the appointment of peon, it is mentioned that, for filling the peon vacancy which had arisen in the governor’s secretariat, in all fairness, the regularisation of the already working contingency staff, merit-cum-seniority based procedures was followed. Accordingly, a departmental promotion board was held and based on the recommendation of the departmental board, Dutta Mondal, a serving contingency staffer with more than ten and half years service was appointed as peon. His appointment was done against the post accrued subsequent to the retirement of one peon and not against the post vacated by Sant Pun upon his appointment as protocol assistant.
“It is reiterated that all persons who have been promoted or appointed or have been regularised in service were already serving in the governor’s secretariat before the present governor assumed office. This makes it clear that there has been no case of preference, favouritism or patronage in any of the appointments/promotions/service regularisation under reference.
“For the wellbeing and progress of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, the efficient working of the governor’s secretariat is the only goal and objective with which the governor’s secretariat is functioning. The motto of the present governor is to work earnestly within the ambit of rules, regulations, acts, laws and the Constitution of India,” it said. (Raj Bhavan)
