ITANAGAR, 17 Aug: The state government on Thursday provided updates on the status of the 13 demands placed by the Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee (PAJSC), which has been spearheading the movement against the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) question paper leak scam.
Enumerating various measures taken by the state government till date, a release from the administrative reforms (AR) department informed that, following the PAJSC’s demand for investigating the chairman, the secretary, the members and all other officials of the APPSC from 2014 to 2022, the CBI took over the first case from the SIC on 26 October, 2022, while the second case was taken over by the CBI from the SIC on 8 January, 2023, after the state government gave blanket approval to the CBI (vide Letter No VIG-239/2022/752, dated 14.11.2022) to investigate all the exams conducted by the APPSC since 2014.
“The two CBI cases are numbered as RC0172022A0009 and RC0172023A0001, respectively. Arunachal government also requested the ED (vide Letter No VIG-239/2022, dated 10.03.2023) for investigation. ED has started investigation,” the release stated.
Regarding the committee’s demand for constituting a fast-track court for prosecution of the accused involved in the APPSC paper leak scam, the government, in consultation with the Gauhati High Court [vide Order No LLJ-12012 (11)/01/2023, dated 22.02.2023] has designated the Yupia district & sessions court as the special fast-track court to try the APPSC paper leak cases.
“The state has also requested the APPSC to set up a standing grievances redressal committee and institutional mechanism, (vide Letter No AR-27012/2/2022-SECT-1-AR/308, dated 23.08.2022) and a subsequent letter (No AR-23011/2/2023-SECt-1-AR/93, dated 22.02.2023),” it said.
The state government has also constituted a one-man inquiry commission, headed by retired justice PK Deka (vide Order No AR-23011/2/2023-SECT-1-AR, dated 16/08/2023) for inquiring into the allegations of leakage of question papers of the recruitment examinations conducted by the APPSC from 1.4.2014 to 31.08.2022.
Further, departmental inquiries were initiated against all the arrested officials by the respective departments under the relevant rules. Forty-one officials were found to have been involved in the malpractices.
Disciplinary measures are being initiated against 22 regular employees, while the services of 19 employees (who were yet to be confirmed in service) have been terminated.
“As per information available, six persons have approached the courts in the matter,” the release added.
It said that the state government has also uploaded the details of the three-member committee report on the AR department website (https://arungovard.nic.in/publication.aspx).
With reference to the PAJSC’s demand for suspension of all the upcoming exams till completion of the investigation process and endorsing to the UPSC to conduct the upcoming examination till completion of the investigation process, the state government said it has already cancelled/postponed all the examinations which had been scheduled to be conducted by the APPSC after the paper leak issue came to light.
“The state government had also requested UPSC to take up recruitment of various vacant posts of Groups A and B, as per recruitment policy of state (vide letter dated 10/3/2023). However, the UPSC (vide Letter No 1/2/2023-S II, dated 24/4/2023) declined the state government’s request to conduct the exams, the release informed.
The release added that the government has issued a fresh advertisement inviting applications for the vacant posts of chairman and three members of the APPSC (vide advertisement dated 28/04/2023).
“The matter is sub judice. The Gauhati High Court had accepted the plea of the government to permit the government to make selection for the vacant posts of chairman and a member of the commission. The process will be completed soon and the outcome will be placed before the high court in sealed cover,” the release informed.
Regarding the demand for investigation against all the higher officials above the rank of deputy secretary from 2014-’22, the state government informed that it has already been covered in the ongoing CBI investigations (Point No 1).
With regard to the demand for declaring null and void the examinations wherein malpractices were found, the matter was referred to the APPSC (vide Letter No AR-23011/2/2023-SECT-1-AR/93, dated 22 February, 2023) and it has acknowledged the reference, the release said.
Regarding the demand for inclusion of two members from among the aspirants in preparing a standard operating procedure for the APPSC, the release said that the government has decided that “the inputs from the aspirants will be sent to the commission for consideration.
“All stakeholders, including aspirants, may provide necessary inputs to the APPSC, if not provided already,” it said.
In response to the committee’s demand for immediate legislation and implementation of the Whistleblower Act, with special provisions for the protection and rewards for whistleblowers, the state has constituted a committee comprising the home department additional joint secretary, and the DS (vigilance) vide Order No VIG-295/2022, dated 07/03/2023.
“The committee consulted the government of India and it has been informed that the Whistleblower Protection Act, 2014 enacted by the Parliament is not in force as yet as no notification appointing the date of the coming into force of the Act has been issued by the central government. Therefore, the rules could not be framed under the Act. Further measures will be contemplated,” added the release.
With regard to the case of PwD candidate Mudang Yabyang, the state government said it has reiterated its position to the APPSC vide Letter No AR-23011/2/2023-SECT-1-AR/93, dated 22.02.2023, and a subsequent letter (No AR/172/2022-US-1-AR, dated 02.06.2023) to look into her case.
Lastly, in response to the demand for immediate recall of three officials posted under the APPSC, the state government has transferred out all officers and officials of the APPSC and has already posted their substitutes.
“The state government has further created common cadre of Arunachal Pradesh civil secretariat,” the release added.
