Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 10 May: The number of illegally appointed employees in the public health engineering & water supply (PHE&WS) department has risen to 25.
Recently, 17 regularised work-charged (WC) employees were illegally appointed in the department. Informing this, All Arunachal Pradesh Public Health Engineering & Water Supply Department Workers Union (AAPPHE & WSDWU) president Tadar Dawa stated that the number is expected to increase further in the days to come.
“We are still awaiting RTI replies from some districts. The numbers of illegally appointed persons are expected to be quite high,” he said.
Meanwhile, the union has decided to defer its proposed dharna, following assurance of action from the PHE&WS secretary. “Secretary AK Singh has sought one week’s time to take action. So we have decided to defer the dharna for one week. The SIC has also sought approval from the government, and we are hoping that the approval will be given soon,” said Dawa.
The AAPPHE &WSDWU had on Thursday announced to stage a statewide dharna from 13 May onwards if the state government failed to fulfill its demands over the appointment of the 17 regularised WC employees in the PHE&WS department.
The union had recently demanded an SIC investigation and cancellation of the appointment orders issued to the illegally appointed persons.
Taking cognisance of the report of illegal appointments made through the Miao circle PHE&WS superintending engineer, the PHE&WS undersecretary has written to the eastern zone chief engineer, seeking a report.
“It has come to the knowledge of the department that many WC appointments were made illegally during the last few months under the office of the superintending engineer, Miao circle, without informing the higher authorities. Therefore, a detailed report is to be submitted to the undersigned within seven days from the date of receipt of this letter,” the letter read.
The apex body of the Wancho community, the Wancho Council, has also sought immediate cancellation of the illegal appointments made in the department. The council has written to the chief secretary, expressing deep resentment over the illegal appointments made in the PHE&WS department in Longding and Changlang districts.
“The department neither advertised to fill vacant posts nor constituted a DPC for such appointments. It is shocking that some of the appointments were made in the latter part of March 2024, whereas the notification for simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and the state assembly was issued on 20 March, and the model code of conduct was in force. Now it is imperative to ascertain whether the erring officer has the authority to issue fresh appointment orders and transfer the same appointees forthwith in such manner,” the council said.
It added that the illegal appointments have hurt the job prospects of those casual labourers who have given more than 20 years of service to the PHE&WS department in Tirap, Changlang, and Longding districts.
“There are many casual workers also whose service has been put in for more than 30 years. They have been hoping to get their job regularised. But these appointments have taken away their quota,” the council added, and sought appropriate legal action against the officers involved in the illegal appointments.
