The Arunachal Pradesh cabinet on Thursday recommended the “removal” of the four Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) members as part of its efforts to “cleanse” the constitutional body in the eye of a storm following a paper leak case related to a recruitment examination conducted by it in August.
Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu revealed his cabinet’s decision in a tweet: “Handed over the recommendation of Cabinet to Hon Governor Brig(Dr) BD Mishra Ji (Retd) to invoke provisions of Article 317 to remove Members of APPSC. We’re determined to take the process of cleansing of APPSC to its logical conclusion in larger interests of our youths and state.”
The state government has to go through the governor because the APPSC is a constitutional body formed in 1988 under Article 315 of the Constitution, comprising a chairman and four members.
Later in the day, a Raj Bhavan communique said two of the four members — Major General (retd) Ganesh Singh Bisht and Major General (retd) Jarken Gamlin (Retd.) — had resigned. They were appointed in 2021. A member gets a six-year term but not beyond 62 years of age.
The APPSC is a state version of the UPSC, conducting, among others, examinations for appointment of civil servants and other officials by the state government.
The BJP-led government has been under pressure to overhaul the APPSC over the question paper leak case, which has led to the arrest of 10 persons, including a senior commission official, till now.
The influential All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) and the All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) have called a joint state bandh on November 2, seeking the suspension of all commission members and sacking all those involved in the paper leak case.
Khandu said on Thursday his government was firm on retaining and restoring the sanctity of APPSC with his cabinet recommending the removal and suspension of four members of APPSC.
He said his government was also “very clear for overhauling the entire APPSC”. He further said the CBI had already reached Itanagar and registered an FIR. It is now in the process of taking up the case soon for investigation.
Altogether 415 candidates had appeared for 33 posts in the APPSC-conducted assistant engineer (civil) examination held on August 26 and 27.
A candidate, Gyamar Padang, had lodged a formal complaint with the police on August 29 about his suspicion that the “paper had been leaked in advance”, leading to the 10 arrests, cancellation of the exam, the resignation of the APPSC chairman owning moral responsibility for the leak and the Khandu government handing over the case to the CBI.
Among the arrested is APPSC deputy secretary-cum-deputy controller of examination Taket Jerang, which has fuelled speculation about the alleged involvement of other insiders in the paper leak case.
The arrested have been booked under multiple sections of the IPC dealing with criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal breach of trust by a courier and public servant.
A former APPSC official had said the modus operandi was simple: lure as many candidates as possible assuring them selection in exchange of money.
“Return the money to those who miss the bus and retain the money of those who are successful. In essence, successful candidates are paying for their own success,” he had said.
Part-time art and physical education instructors stage a demonstration under the banner ‘Odisha Kala O Krida Sikhyaka Sangh’ in Bhubaneswar on Friday demanding regularisation of their jobs. PTI picture
