Arunachal Government terminates two agriculture development officers

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh government has terminated two Group A officers in connection with the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) paper leak issue. The officers were holding the posts of Agriculture Development Officers (ADOs) and are presently lodged at the Jully district jail near here in connection with the case, officials at the agriculture department said. ADOs Dekni Romin and Yimar Rakshap posted at Taliha in Upper Subansiri and Hawai in Anjaw district of the state have been terminated from their services by the government in the backdrop of the on-going APPSC exam fiasco, an order issued by state Agriculture Commissioner Bidol Tayeng stated.

The appointments were provisional, and they were still in their two-year probationary periods, and their services were yet to be confirmed by the government. The two former ADOs were earlier arrested by the Special Investigating Cell (SIC) in connection with the paper leak case and were remanded to police custody for more than 48 hours. Both officers were served with termination notices by the department on February 6, giving them a month to respond. However, none of the officers have replied to the notices. Another official of the department, Talung Jomang, serving as Agriculture Field Assistant (senior), who is currently lodged at Jully district jail, has been placed under suspension, the order said, adding, disciplinary proceedings could not be completed due to certain previous judgments of the Supreme Court in a similar case.

On March 10, 2018, Chief Minister Pema Khandu informed the assembly that since 2017, there have been eleven exams conducted by the APPSC in which a total of 54 persons, including 42 government officials, have been arrested on allegations of malpractice. The question paper leak issue came to light last year after one Gyamar Padung, who appeared in the examination, filed a complaint at the Itanagar police station on August 29, claiming that he suspected that the question paper was leaked.

More than 400 candidates appeared in the examination held on August 26 and 27 last year. The CBI had taken over the investigation on October 27 last year after the state government recommended it. The case was initially investigated by the Capital Police and later transferred to the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) of the state police.

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