It appears that the coming few months will be challenging for Pema Khandu, the incumbent chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, after the Supreme Court (SC) agreed to examine a public interest litigation (PIL) against him.
The PIL alleges that Chief Minister Pema Khandu awarded contracts to his family members. The PIL was filed by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena. The matter is set to be heard in the week following 21 July.
The court has asked the state government to provide details of the beneficiaries and inform whether due process was followed. It has also sought responses from the Union Home Affairs and Finance Ministries, as well as the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India on the issue within five weeks. Additionally, the court has asked the state government to provide details relating to the grant of government contracts to other family members of the chief minister.
The bench also requested a detailed final status report from the CAG, keeping in mind the code of conduct for lawmakers and their role in awarding government contracts. The court specifically asked the state government to provide details on whether any government contracts were awarded to the chief minister. While court dates can drag on, giving the chief minister enough time to buy some, the PIL is nonetheless a serious matter.