Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 23 Dec: Accusing the state government of dilly-dallying over its 13-point charter of demands vis-à-vis the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) paper leak scam, the All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) on Friday announced a 12-hour capital bandh on 27 December.
The union’s demands are immediate arrest of former APPSC chairman Nipo Nabam and other members of the commission; monitoring of the probe into the case by the enforcement department and the high court; immediate dismissal of all government officers involved in the scam; declaration of all exams null and void until the investigation is over; and inclusion of aspirants in the examination standard operating procedures.
The ANSU also endorsed the aspirants’ demand that civil service exams be conducted under the UPSC; that justice be given to PwD candidate Mudang Yabyang; and that whistleblower Gyamar Padang be rewarded.
In a press conference held at the Arunachal Press Club here, ANSU vice president Rahim Yangfo claimed that the government has failed to redress the grievances placed by the ANSU and the Pan Arunachal Joint Action Steering Committee over the APPSC fiasco.
“It’s been four months, we have been submitting memorandum and conducting peaceful rallies. However, the government is just accepting our demands just for an eye-wash, without giving serious efforts,” Yangfo said.
“Taking cognisance of the government’s lackadaisical attitude towards the infamous fiasco, the ANSU has resolved to declare a 12-hour capital bandh on 27 December, 2022,” Yangfo said.
“Unless the government addresses our grievances properly or satisfactorily, the ANSU won’t back down and we will continue with our phase-wise stir,” he added.
Earlier, during the 27th cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Chief Minister Pema Khandu-led government had decided to initiate a departmental inquiry into the case.
The cabinet decided to fast-track the ongoing investigations by the SIC and the CBI. It also decided that the state government would ask the high court to designate a court exclusively to deal with the matter.
The state government has also decided to frame rules for immediate implementation of a ‘Whistleblower Act’ in the state, and to introduce a grievance cell at the APPSC for faster and smoother redress of grievances of the aspirants as well as all other stakeholders.
