Arunachal: Illegal appointment scam hits Governor’s Secretariat 

The Governor’s secretariat in Arunachal Pradesh is rattled by rampant irregularities in appointment to various posts following reports from an RTI.

The  RTI stated that the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC), which has been entrusted to conduct examinations for Group-A, B and B (Non-Gazetted) posts under the Govt of Arunachal Pradesh, was conducted by Rajiv Gandhi University, without following the official protocol of advertising the details of the recruitment drive for the aforesaid posts.

Highlighting the numerous recruitments made for the post of Protocol Officers along with other Group-C posts, the RTI further confirmed of irregularities in appointments without following any recruitment procedure and no proper advertisement floated as well. 

It may be mentioned here that the APSSB was entrusted to conduct direct recruitments of Group-C post under government of Arunachal Pradesh as per the APSSB Act 2018. 

The appointment of one videographer, a protocol officer for the Governor’s Secretariat as well as a peon has raised eyebrows in the region, with the RTI informing that all the recruitments were made without any advertisement of the aforesaid posts or any mention of any examination.

The RTI applicant posts serious allegations in the RTI, where the applicant slams the establishment of gross violation of the APSSB Act 2018, along with nepotism and favoritism sipping into the government office for the recruitment of candidates. 

Raising another incident of malicious promotion and recruitment of candidates, the RTI applicant states that few years back, with the approval of the State Cabinet, Arunachal Pradesh, Private Secretary to Governor Post was up-graded to Principal Private Secretary to Governor. 

“One Shri Shyam Bahadur Rana, who was Private Secretary to Governor, was appointed to the up-graded PPS post. And as desired by Governor's Secretariat, up-graded PPS post was once again up-graded to Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Governor in Pay Matrix Level-12, with the approval of State Cabinet vide No.CAB/M-8/8/2021/328-333, dated 31" August, 2021. Consequent upon cabinet approval, the same person Shri Shyam Bahadur Rana was appointed to the post of OSD to Governor with the condition that on the retirement/vacation of the post, whichever is earlier, the newly upgraded post of OSD to Governor will stand terminated and will be re-designated again as PPS to Governor in pay matrix Level-11. Does any rule under CCS verifies this kind of up gradation with specified conditions for a specific person that too within a short period of time. All these act shows that it was meant only to give financial benefit to Shri Shyam Bahadur Rana,” mentions the RTI information. 

“Considering the above mentioned facts, it is clear that there are rampant misuse of power and provision given to Governor's Secretariat of Arunachal Pradesh in the appointment of the staffs. Governor is the head of the state and his/her duty is to preserve, protect and defend the constitution and the law as incorporated in their oath of office under Article 159 of the Indian constitution in the administration of the state affairs. People do not expect Governor's Secretariat Office to involve in such acts that undermine and violate the laws he/she is supposed to protect instead of monitoring such irregular and misuse of power in other establishments in the state,” adds the RTI applicant in his report. 

Demanding the establishment to take stringent action and look into the illegal appointments while accusing the Rajiv Gandhi University of being involved in the illegal recruitment, the RTI applicant appeals for an immediate scrutiny of the four mentioned recruits. Additionally, the applicant has demanded a high level enquiry committee headed by not less than a judge of high court immediately to enquire the illegal appointments and misuse of power involved in the appointment processes.