Make inquiry reports public

The state government on Thursday announced the formation of a high-level committee to probe into the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) question paper leakage case. The committee will submit its findings within 15 days. The capital police have so far arrested five persons who were allegedly involved in the paper leakage case. The police investigation is ongoing and therefore more arrests can be expected in the days to come. The decision to constitute a high-level committee in addition to the police investigation is a good move.

However, the state government should make the report public. Even during the APSSB cash-for-job scam, the state government had formed a ‘high-level inquiry committee’ to investigate the alleged malpractices in the recruitment examination. The committee was headed by the then principal resident commissioner of the state government in New Delhi, Jitendra Narain, and home commissioner Kaling Tayeng. Despite appeals made by various organisations, the state government never made the report public. Even an RTI filed in this regard was rejected. What is the point of forming an inquiry committee and then not making it public? It is sheer wastage of resources. Such an inquiry or probe report should be made public and the state government should initiate action based on the report. Only then will citizens trust the intention of the government.