ITANAGAR, 22 May: The BJP Yachuli Mandal has alleged that financial fraud took place in the recent illegal appointments made in the PHE & WS department. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday at Arunachal Press Club (APC), BJP Mandal president Tania Tajing alleged that financial concurrence for the illegal appointments was obtained from the finance department using fraud methods by the PHE & WS department.
“Upon our inquiry in the finance department, we came to know that these appointments were made using a fraud concurrence number. The financial concurrence number used to make illegal appointments is of some project and it had nothing to do with new appointments. The PHE & WS department has cheated the state government,” he alleged.
Further, he also alleged that illegal appointments were made to influence the outcome of election results in 16 Yachuli assembly constituency. “Most of the people who were illegally appointed were from Yachuli constituency.
They were given appointments around the assembly election which shows that it was done to try to influence the election result. Our candidate and sitting MLA Taba Tedir has done a lot of development work in the last 5 years. But the NCP candidate tried to win the election by giving illegal jobs to the people,” he added.
Further, he claimed Chief Engineer PHE & WS Toko Jyoti is the person behind the whole illegal appointment conspiracy. “His brother was an NCP candidate and he made these illegal appointments. Even though he is Chief Engineer he has been holding the post of SE coordination in the department since 2007. This gives him the power to appoint and transfer people up to junior engineer level,” Tajing alleged.
The allegation was, however, rejected by the Chief Engineer PHE & WS western zone Toko Jyoti. When this daily reached the Chief Engineer for his comment, he denied his involvement in the illegal appointments scam and termed the allegations “false charges.”
Tajing further informed that the BJP team also called on SP SIC Anant Mittal on Wednesday. “We met SP and have requested him to properly investigate this case. The role of every individual involved in the illegal appointment right from Chief Engineer to Superintending Engineer and Executive Engineer should be investigated,” he said. He expressed hope that SP Mittal will properly investigate the case. “We trust SP Anant Mittal. He is a very good IPS officer and his track record in investigating job scams is quite good. We are pretty sure he will do a good job in this case too,” said Tajing. He also praised Chief Minister Pema Khandu for promptly allowing the SIC investigation into the case.
Advocate Likha Kan, a prominent citizen of Keyi Panyor who also addressed the press conference urged SIC to speed up the investigation. “Why is there a delay in conducting raids in the Chief Engineer (CE) office in Itanagar? Everyone knows illegal appointments started from the CE office. Also, almost a month has gone by now and there is no arrest in this case. We wish to see a speedy investigation,” said Likha Kan. He also urged SIC to investigate the role of the then SE Miao Joram Badal. “SE Miao from where these appointment letters were issued is from Keyi Panyor and transfer orders were issued by Chief Engineer Toko Jyoti who is also from KP. Appointments were made around the election. Therefore this is a classic case of vote for job scam,” said Kan.
While the SIC registered an FIR on illegal appointments, the state government cancelled the appointments of 20 work-charged employees illegally appointed in the PHE&WS department.
These appointments were mostly made in March, raising the possibility of a vote-for-job scam. The legislative and parliamentary polls were held in April 19.
