Editor,
The press conference of the members of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) following the massive scam of paper leakage in the assistant engineer (civil) examinations conducted by the same recruiting institution did more damage than assurance.
The chest thumping exclamation of “APPSC are hosting the press conference for the first time in the history of Arunachal Pradesh despite being a constitutional body” by a member with complete arrogance, without an iota of remorse in the gesture, spoke a thousand words, only further affirming the all too familiar, deeply rooted tainted reputation of the infamous recruitment institution. It reflected how incapable the existing commission still is and the present members instead of assuring the people especially the young unemployed aspirants who are literally putting everything at stake in the preparation for various examinations by going through rigorous processes.
The other insensitive comment by the other member “to knock the door of the judiciary” when asked about the inordinate delays in the examination processes hampering the age bar issues for many genuine and deserving candidates right from the inception of the APPSC in 1988 as a result of the flawed recruitment system, is simply aggravating the pain and heartbreaks these sincere and hardworking aspirants have been hit with years after years.
Also, the same member isn’t bothered about the wrongdoings of the commission’s pasts which should have been a mirror for the very institution to make the necessary corrections.
When the media persons further grilled the addressing members of the commission regarding their delay in their proceedings in the entire episode, the prompt reply was that they have established an ‘internal audit committee’ to investigate the same. This creates further doubts and apprehensions in the minds of the common people that the same commission whose actions have been under serious scrutiny for its incompetence and wrongdoings, is somehow setting up a committee to investigate themselves.
This is beyond logic and is simply laughable. Do they really think the people of Arunachal Pradesh are that dumb? Do accountability and transparency of the system mean nothing to them? It will come as no surprise when they give a clean chit to themselves.
The guilty officer involved in the unforgivable scam, Taket Jerang, seems to have no part to play in the examination process, as reportedly claimed by the members of the commission addressing the media persons. This creates another stimulus for suspicions and doubts. If this man was nowhere related to the examination processes, then how did he access the question papers? That means there is other possible involvement of other officers/members of the commission who were part of the entire process. This truly demands a serious impartial investigation to everyone involved.
The culprit Taket Jerang has been in the service under APPSC since 1992. Now imagine the possibility of the potential foul plays for almost three decades. Every examination conducted by the APPSC during his tenure now comes under some serious doubts and apprehensions. It’s just impossible that one person was involved in all the crimes and others had completely no clue about the same. Therefore, every other member from the beginning till the end must also be investigated.
Also, the scams wouldn’t have existed without the knowledge or involvement of the higher-ups; therefore the people at the helm controlling the entire examination processes must also be investigated right from the chief minister, the department of personnel, the department of administrative reforms, the undersecretary, and all those in the commission’s hierarchy.
Only a free and fair investigation through an impartial investigation agency must be endorsed to probe the same.
After witnessing the entire proceedings of the media briefing of the commission, the real question that strikes every citizen of the state is the arrogant and insensitive audacity of the chairman, secretary and members of the APPSC to be still holding their respective posts and talking big. Where is the moral responsibility? First they must voluntarily resign on moral grounds and invite an impartial investigation to trace out the genesis of the entire scam for what looks like only the tip of the iceberg – the bigger fishes are yet to be unearthed.
A concerned citizen