[ Nellie N Manpoong ]
ITANAGAR, Sep 18: The Itanagar permanent bench of the Gauhati High Court has disposed of the writ petition of the commerce candidates with directions to the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) to dispose of the second representation (submitted by the candidates on 21 August, 2018) with a reasoned and speaking order before 26 September, 2018.
The commission had received the first complaint on 30 July by two candidates, while 71 candidates raised the issue of anomalies again on 21 August, 2018, and subsequently approached the high court here.
Representing the petitioners (candidates), counsel Sunil Mow informed that while the APPSC had claimed to have looked into the first complaint, it did not address the issue of the second complaint.
“If errors are found in the commerce paper, the candidates should receive compensatory marks. If there are no errors as claimed by the 71 candidates, the APPSC will have to provide reasons for the same to justify its decision,” Mow said.
“However, if candidates feel that the reasons are not justified, they can pursue the matter further,” he added.
Standing counsel for the APPSC, A Apang, had also submitted documents under sealed cover on compensatory marks given to the candidates and the names of the expert committee of commerce subject engaged by the APPSC when it received the first complaint.
However, the court has not examined the documents, and has directed the APPSC to look into the representation made by the candidates on 21 August, 2018.
APPSC Secretary Taru Tallo assured that the commission would provide clear and appropriate reasons in its speaking order.
While he assured that no injustice was done to the candidates, he did not divulge whether an expert committee would be set up to look into the second complaint.
The last date of submission of applications for the mains examination is 26 September, 2018.
