Youths join silent protest across Arunachal Pradesh; Make probe panel public

A CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Hundreds of youths including students, wearing black badges and holding placards, participated in the Statewide silent peaceful demonstration organized by the Interim Committee for justice and reformation (ICJR) on APSSB (Arunachal Pradesh State Selection Board) scam in front of the State Civil Secretariat complex here on Tuesday. The ICJR had declared August 25 as a 'Black Day' over the issue. The ICJR is demanding that report of the inquiry committee be made public, and jobs of all the former officers and officials of APSSB be terminated and the UDC examination be re-conducted.

Expressing grave concern over the delay in making public the report of inquiry committee, ICJR legal advisor Advocate SD Loda said, "The committee was compelled to call the democratic movement against the State government for its failure to come clean on the APSSB 'Cash-for-Job scam' despite repeated assurance even from Chief Minister himself." The Chief Minister had categorically stated the inquiry panel's report on the scam will be made public that within 21 days, but no report has been made public even after the lapse of months."

He said that youths wearing black badges are joining the protest across the State against the prevailing corruption-and-money culture in the government institution.

"The fight is not for a single incident, but to protect the future generation from such scams', said ICJR advisor Debia Muj. He further posed, "The APSSB is a pet project of the State government. Why is the Chief Minister is not revealing the inquiry panel's final report?"

Earlier, ICJR advisor Muj questioned as to why the State government did not terminate the accused Kapter Ringu and others involved in the scam as an administrative action? "The legal actions will go alongside investigation but the administrative action of termination should be provided first," he said, while requesting the entire legislators to raise their voices against such practices in the Assembly session slated to be held from August 27. He further said that a recent audio clip of a lady alleging a medical officer involved in the cash-for-job scam in Lohit district is the best example that the people have no fear of such practices due to no strict and immediate actions. "People should have a fear before bribing and accepting the bribe. The State government should make a strict rule so that no one dares to take bribes," he added.

He also informed that around 20 persons have been arrested so far in the cash-for-job scam and the investigation is almost complete. The only thing left is to file the charge sheet. Questioning State Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, who during an earlier press briefing had said that making the report public will hamper the investigation process, he posed, "When the investigation is almost complete and only the charge sheet remains to be filed, where lies the fear for any kind of hindrance in the investigation?"

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