Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, May 14: The Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) on Monday alleged gross violation of procedures in the appointment of the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women’s (APSCW) chairperson, vice chairperson and members.
Addressing a press conference at the press club here, APWWS president Bengia Dipti Tadar claimed that the laid-down rules of the APSCW Act, 2002, were bypassed while making the appointments.
“We have found anomalies and violations of the laid-down rules of the APSCW Act at the time of appointing and constituting the fifth body of the state women commission,” Tadar said, and demanded that the chief minister rectify the anomaly.
The APSCW had floated an advertisement for the vacant posts of chairperson, vice chairperson and members of the commission on 23 November, 2017. The last date of submitting the applications was 13 December, 2017.
The APWWS said the government appointed Taba Nirmali as chairperson of the commission, and Taba Rosie and Padmeswari Jamoh as members. Nirmali had contested for the MLA seat from the Yachuli assembly constituency against the present MLA Likha Saaya. The APWWS alleged that the appointments was done in a hush-hush manner, flouting the norms.
It further claimed that none of the current members had applied for the posts but were appointed in violation of the norms. The APWWS said Section 5(5) of the APSCW Act was violated in appointing the current chairperson, vice chairperson and members, claiming that none of the current appointed members are on empanelled lists recommended by the outgoing body of the commission.
The APWWS also claimed violation of Section 5(1) of the APSCW Act, stating that the commission has appointed a non-APST as a member by depriving deserving APST women candidates.
“If we don’t raise this issue, it would become a precedent,” said APWWS general secretary Kani Nada Maling, adding that the APWWS would not have been worried had empanelled candidates been appointed.
Members of the APWWS had called on Chief Minister Pema Khandu and urged him to immediately rectify the situation. They said the chief minister has sought a week’s time to resolve the issue.
