Arunachal Joint Steering Committee demands postponement of swearing-in of APPSC chairman

The Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee on February 13 submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh highlighting its previous demands and also against the appointment of the APPSC's new chairman and its members.
 
In its representation, the committee wrote that the newly appointed Chairman, Lieutenant General (Retd) Shantanu Dayal, who is 61 years old, is on the verge of retirement in one year, whereas the retirement age or tenure of the Chairman and members of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) is 6 years or 62 years of age, whichever comes earlier. 

The committee also raised concern that the newly appointed chairman will have no time to understand the system or to cleanse it, saying it is an insult to the already chaotic state of the APPSC. 

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The representation also read that the appointment of the Chairman and members of the APPSC, instead of being reformative initiatives, looked more like an attempt to conduct the examinations shortly and impose the age-old "Divide and Rule" tactics to completely sabotage the movement against the unprecedented nexus of organised crime. 

The committee has demanded to immediately postpone the oath-taking ceremony scheduled to be held on February 17 and re-examine the shortlisted members and chairman of APPSC. 

Further, they demanded the appointment of a full-time chairman with the capability to complete six years of tenure. 

Earlier on February 7, Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) got a new team under the chairmanship of Lt General Shantanu Dayal UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd).

The APPSC members include Colonel Koj Tari (Retd), Prof. Pradip Lingfa and Rosy Taba.

The Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission comprises of a Chairman and 4 (four) Members as per the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission Regulations, 1988 as amended from time to time.  

The post of Chairman and 3 (three) members had fallen vacant due to the resignation of the Chairman / Members from their respective posts in October 2022. 

An advertisement against the vacant posts was issued on 21/11/2022 with the closing date of receipt of application as 12/12/2022. 

The Government had received applications from 18 (eighteen) persons for the post of Chairman, APPSC and 58 (fifty-eight) applications for the post of Member(s), APPSC. 

A High-level Screening Committee had in its meeting held on 12th January 2023 recommended a panel of names for consideration by the Government.