ITANAGAR, 3 Jun: Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh has claimed that the BJP has brazened it out in Arunachal Pradesh by allowing Chief Minister Pema Khandu to continue in office despite the Supreme Court ordering a preliminary inquiry against him over alleged corruption charges.
Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Ramesh alleged that the Chief Minister has control over all files that are part of the CBI inquiry, as he also holds charge of the Public Works Department (PWD).
“All principles and norms have been abandoned. This is an insult to the Supreme Court, to the people of Arunachal Pradesh, and to the Constitution of India,” he said.
Earlier, the Congress had sought the Chief Minister’s resignation, citing the Supreme Court’s order.
In April, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to register within two weeks a preliminary enquiry into allegations of preferential allotment of contracts for public works in Arunachal Pradesh to firms allegedly owned or related to the family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
Observing that the state and its instrumentalities cannot confer benefits according to the “whims of any political or administrative functionary,” the apex court said it is a fit case where an “independent investigation” is necessary.
A bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath said where a case concerns the integrity of public procurement and involves allegations of conflict of interest at the highest levels, an investigation must not only be fair but also must appear fair.
“Accordingly, we deem it appropriate that CBI shall register a preliminary enquiry forthwith and shall conduct a time-bound investigation into the award and execution of the public works contracts and work orders which form the subject matter of this writ petition and the affidavits filed in these proceedings,” the bench, also comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and N.V Anjaria, said.
During the hearing in the matter, the apex court was told that government contracts and work orders worth around Rs. 1,270 crore were awarded in the last 10 years in Arunachal to four firms related to the family members of Khandu.
In its verdict, the bench said the preliminary enquiry and consequential investigation, if any, shall cover the award and execution of public works contracts and work orders in Arunachal from 1 January, 2015 to 31 December, 2025, including the works and compilations placed on record in the proceedings before it.
The bench delivered its verdict on a plea filed by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena, seeking a CBI or SIT probe into the matter.
