[ Indu Chukhu ]
ITANAGAR, 20 Jun: Sixteen persons have been appointed as chairmen, vice presidents and members in various boards, corporations and departments under the state’s exchequer. The appointments were made by the secretary of each department.
Out of the 16 chairmen appointed, five are former ministers and five are former MLAs.
The appointees are former Seppa East MLA Tapuk Taku (chairman of the Arunachal Pradesh Mineral Trading & Development Corporation Ltd); former Bameng MLA Goruk Pordung (chairman of the AP State Medicinal Plants Board); former education minister Taba Tedir (chairman of the Arunachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency); former agri-horti minister Tage Taki (chairman of the AP State Council of Science & Technology); former Koloriang MLA Lokam Tasar (chairman of the State Level Monitoring Committee under F&CS); former Liromoba MLA Nyamar Karbak (chairman of the AP State Council for IT & e-Governance); former Longding-Pumao MLA Tanpho Wangnow (chairmanof the Department of Tirap Changlang Longding (DoTCL); former minister Atum Welly (chairman of the AP State Rubber Board); former AAPSU president AAPSU Hawa Bagang (chairman of the AP Biodiversity Board); former minister Tatar Kipa (chairman of the AP Bamboo Resource DevelopmentAgency); former minister Japu Deru (adviser to the DCM).
State BJP general secretary Nalong Mize has been appointed as chairman of the AP Forest Corporation Ltd; BJP worker Nima Sangey Saling has been appointed as chairman of the Resource Mobilization and Programme Implementation Committee of the FP&I Departement; Nani Laji has been appointed as the chairman of the APIDFC; Maling Gombu has been appointed as chairman of the AP Khadi & Village Industries Board; and John Neelam has been appointed as chairman of the Sports Authority of Arunachal.
State BJP spokesperson Techi Necha has been appointed as vice chairman of the AP Bamboo Resource Agency, while TG Baki has been appointed a vice chairman of the AP Forest Corportaion Ltd. Bengia Yaying Tadar has been appointed as vice chairman of the Sports Authority of Arunachal; Tagin Siga has been appointed as vice chairman of the AP Khadi & Village Industries Board; Kaling Pertin has been appointed as vice chairman of the APEDA; Labi Dususow has been appointed as vice chairman of the AP Mineral Development & Trading Corporation Ltd; Ram Tajo has been appointed as vice chairperson of the AP Industrial Development Finance Corporation Ltd; Sangay Dhodup has been appointed as vice chairman of the DoKAA; Izmir Tikhak has been appointed as vice chairman of the DoTCL; and Tagru Ponung has been appointed a vice president of the AP Eco-Tourism Society.
Kasung Cheda and Bakemso Tauwsik have been appointed as members of the AP Biodiversity Board, while Tamar Ekke, Hina Nabam Mavan, Hinium Tachu and WS Tutsa have been appointed as members of the AP Khadi & Village Industries Board.
The chairmen will be provided a monthly honorarium of Rs 45,000 and TA/DA at par with Group A government officers, with entitlements for air journey in economy class. Reportedly, the vice chairmen will receive a sum of Rs 40,000 a month.
The daily allowance for an official tour by the chairmen will be limited to 10 days on one occasion within the state, with the approval of the chief minister. The official tour of the chairmen should be one time in two months and should not exceed a week.
The chairmen and the vice chairmen will also receive a lump sum of Rs 15,000 as vehicle allowances in lieu of providing government vehicles, and a monthly amount of Rs 10,000 would be allowed in lieu of government accommodation. The chairmen and the vice chairmen can also avail of the facility for reimbursement of mobile phone bills for office use at a minimum ceiling limit Rs 2,500 per month.
The chairmen and the vice chairmen will be provided with one personal assistant, one lower divisional clerk and one peon, and one office accommodation in the respective departments.
State BJP executive member Hinium Tachu, who has been appointed as a member of the AP Khadi & Village Industries Board, said that they would work for the welfare of the unemployed youths and contribute towards the state’s exchequer.
Commenting on appointments, Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Bosiram Siram said: “The Congress does not have any problem with the appointment of the chairmen or vice chairmen. This is a practice since the Congress’ time. It is just that the number of chairmen has been increased comparatively.”
“Chairmen should be appointment but it should be limited to an ornamental designation,” Siram said, adding that “funds should be allocated so that the unemployed youths can be benefitted and not merely the organization.”
He further said that public funds should not be wasted.
A citizen from Longding district informed that the amount allotted to the DoTCL is Rs 50 crore, while there are 12 MLAs from the TCL districts. The person said that “if the funds are limited for the DoTCL, then what would be the role of the chairman and the vice chairman, whereas there is already an issue of fund crisis?”
Calls were made to some of the newly appointed chairmen and vice chairmen, but they were not answered.
While there are questions and opinions on the appointment of these chairmen and vice chairmen, an anonymous social media account holder stated that such appointment undermines governance and wastes public funds. The social media user also raised concerns over “ghost employees and nepotism through the creation of such posts.” The user highlighted the divergence of projects due to political convenience and pinpointed the massive drain of public money.
