APYC alleges violation of appointment rules; LM secy, director clarify

Arunachal Times: Itanagar: Wednesday, September 11, 2019.

The Arunachal Pradesh Youth Congress (APYC) has alleged “gross violation” of rules in job appointments under various categories in the land management (LM) department.

In a complaint to the chief secretary, APYC general secretary Tanu Nima Dulom said several appointments were made in the department without conducting any interview, under the supervision of LM Secretary SK Jain and Director E Nangkar.

The APYC said its RTI cell had applied for documents, seeking the list of persons who were given jobs in the land management department without them having to face any interview.

Dulom claimed that the report obtained through the RTI Act revealed the names of six persons who were allegedly appointed without interviews, and expressed apprehension that the number of such appointees could actually be in the hundreds.

Additionally, the APYC has sought suspension of the officers and an inquiry by the special investigation cell into the matter, failing which, it said, it would launch a democratic movement “involving thousands of unemployed youths of the state.”

However, denying the allegation of going against the appointment rules, Nangkar said “the secretary has no role in appointing the staff,” and that “vacancies were filled against exigency of service to fill posts that were lying empty due to retirement or deaths, with approval of the then land management minister, before the establishment of the Staff Selection Board (SSB).”

He also said that “the employees were trained revenue functionaries, and there was no personal interest involved in their appointments.”

Jain on his part said, “I have not appointed anyone against the appointment rule or otherwise. I have not appointed a single person under my signature.”

The secretary informed that on receiving a letter a few days back regarding the matter, he sought an inquiry report from the joint director to find out if anything illegal had been done in the department at any point of time.

“I do not want to see even a single person who has been illegally appointed in the department,” Jain said.

He said the SSB has been constituted, but prior to that, the departments were deemed competent to appoint Group C appointees.

“Prior to the SSB, there was the provision for government departments to appoint Group C staff at their own level,” he said.