Arunachal witnesses several positives: CM Pema Khandu

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday asserted that his tenure as political head of the state has witnessed several ‘positives’ barring a few ‘ugly instances’, citing the state public service commission paper leakage scam. Speaking at an event organized at Dera Natung Government College here, Khandu said similar instances (paper leakage) might have happened in the past, but it was during his tenure as chief minister that it came to light, jolting the very foundation of the state’s highest recruitment body and the administration.

“It is only natural to blame the government and the chief minister for it. I accept it, but at the same time, it should be understood that this government is not taking the incident lightly. We have initiated severe and sincere action against all involved, and investigations are in full swing. We are putting in place a system to avoid any recurrence of such misdemeanours,” he said. Khandu admitted that it is not easy to sit in the chief minister’s chair, and facing criticism is part of the job. He, however, felt that criticism and blame were fair only if the government did not react sincerely. “From day one, I have been stressing the concept of ‘Team Arunachal’. The government or the chief minister alone cannot bring in any positive change if every member of society does not take up the responsibility to be the change,” he said.

Appreciating the presence of more than two hundred alumni of DNGC on the occasion, he urged them to contribute to the development of the state as responsible members of ‘Team Arunachal’. “I see all the known faces amongst the alumni who are serving in various capacities. You all are intellectuals. You have to take the responsibility to make the change, be the change, and become the change,” he appealed. Lauding DNGC Principal Dr. M. Q. Khan for conceptualising and organising the alumni meet of the college for the first time, Khandu said it was time for the former students, particularly those who are doing well in life today, to give back to their alma mater.

He suggested the event be made a yearly event to inspire the present group of students. While assuring all possible assistance to the college in terms of infrastructure and manpower, Khandu urged the alumni to become the bridge between the college and the government and play the role of a catalyst in the overall development of the college. The chief minister informed that the government has already sanctioned infrastructural projects for the college, including a new administrative block building, an anthropology department building, a hundred-bedded girls’ hostel, a children’s park with an open gym, a sports’ complex equipped with four badminton courts and two judo-karate courts, two cricket practise pitches, one rostrum, and one more gallery, which are under construction.

Khandu said that, being the second-oldest college in the state (after Jawaharlal Nehru College, Pasighat), DNGC deserves all the attention from the government and assured that it will get what it deserves. About 200 outstanding alumni are attending the day-long meet, which includes a workshop on the theme ‘Role of Alumni in the Development of Institution’.

Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) Mayor Tame Phassang, an alumni of the college, also attended the event. Prof. Dhananjay Singh, Member Secretary of the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi, and President of the Association of Asian Social Science Research Council, who delivered the keynote address, is also an alumnus of the college. In fact, Prof. Singh had his entire education, from class 1 to university, in the northeastern state.

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