Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Feb 24: Home Minister Bamang Felix on Monday questioned the intention behind the All Nyishi Youth Association’s (ANYA) announcing a 12-hour capital bandh on 28 February, and termed the bandh illegal.
During a press briefing at the civil secretariat here, Felix, who was accompanied by Home Commissioner Kaling Tayeng, said though the state government invited the ANYA to resolve the issue through dialogue, the association’s members did not turn up for the meeting.
“The government has invited them for discussion. We want to know what caused them to declare the bandh call, since the government has solved most the issues raised by them,” the home minister said.
He said the government wrote to the ANYA president for a meeting but he declined the invitation.
“It seems their intention is not to resolve the issues they have raised. We invited them to talk but they refused to turn up for the meeting” said Felix.
“I am astonished why they are resorting to bandh calls,” Felix said, adding that the “bandh is illegal and the government will not tolerate anybody who tries to create disharmony and disturb the peace and tranquillity.”
“Since the government has fulfilled most of the demands raised by the ANYA, I don’t see any justification for a bandh call. Bandh is normally called when the government remains deaf and dumb,” Felix said.
The home minister also said the government “has left no stone unturned” in matter of the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB) scam.
He said the investigation is being fast-tracked, adding that the government would come up with the full details of the scam and the culprit(s) would be punished.
Felix said, however, that since the matter is still under investigation, it would not be possible for him to divulge the details of the case.
The HM further clarified that none of the district quotas under the APSSB had been left out while advertising the recent examination. “The district quotas will remain intact, and we will go by the district quotas in Group C and D posts,” he said.
On the implementation of the work order system under the District Based Entrepreneurship Act, the home minister informed that the government has paid heed to the ANYA’s demand and constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Education Minister Taba Tedir “to study the mechanism.”
He said that, if at all the act is to be amended, “it has to be done through the legislative assembly, which needs a few codal procedures.”
Felix also informed that the deputy chief minister is looking into the GeM procurement issue and discussion in the matter has been initiated.
In the matter of the boundary dispute in Dollungmukh, the home minister said both sides should maintain the status quo. He informed that the home commissioner has written to his Assam counterpart to not violate the status quo.
He also informed that the home department has already initiated the deployment of adequate police personnel in Puchi-Geku and Muri Mugli in Kamle district.
Felix further said the state government has had a meeting on the offspring issue, “and the legality and relevant laws are being explored to come up with a logical mechanism.”
He urged the ANYA to reconsider its decision and call off the bandh in the greater interest of the state.
Meanwhile, ANYA president Byabang Joram said the association would go ahead with the bandh.
Stating that the government made “hollow promises,” Joram said although the order for implementation of the district-wise quota in the APSSB had been issued, “it wasn’t implemented on ground.”
On the association’s demand vis-à-vis work order system for amounts upto Rs 1 crore, Joram said though the government constituted a committee and its recommendation has been submitted, no outcome has emerged yet.
“On these two particular demands we are going ahead with the 12 hours capital bandh,” Joram said over the phone.
