In a move which can be decisive in the battle against corruption, the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) of the state’s vigilance department has charge-sheeted 19 persons allegedly involved in the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB) examination cash-for-job scam. The APSSB job scam is one of the biggest scams to have rocked the state. The dreams of thousands of aspirants crashed when it emerged that jobs were being bought. The state government had created the APSSB to conduct recruitment drives for Group C and D.
The SIC had registered the case on 16 February, 2020. The charge-sheeting of the alleged accused within such a short period is truly appreciable. The SIC, led by SP M Harsha Vardhan, has done commendable investigation. However, until the accused are found guilty by a court, the job will be half done. Also, most of the people arrested, barring the now suspended then undersecretary Kapter Ringu, are all small fish. The role of the then APSSB secretary SK Jain had also come under the scanner. The state government is yet to initiate any action against him, which is surprising. The people are alleging that the IAS lobby is protecting him, which, if true, will be very unfortunate. All the people involved in the scam, irrespective of their rank, should be punished. Only then will the people think that the state government is serious in its fight against corruption.