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Informist, Tuesday, Mar. 18, 2025

 

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought reports from the finance and home affairs ministries on a public interest litigation seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation or Special Investigation Team into alleged award of public work contracts in Arunachal Pradesh to firms owned by the family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu. 

 

The bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna said that "we must have a clear cut answer" and who were the parties to whom the contracts were awarded and what was the process undertaken. "Both the ministries must come out clear. We also need to see who are the ones behind it," said the apex court. 

 

The top court also sought a detailed affidavit from the Arunachal Pradesh government stating the parties to whom the contracts were awarded. In addition, the reply should entail contracts awarded to Khandu, his father's second wife Rinchin Drema and his nephew Tsering Tashi, said the court. "The Ministry of Finance and (the Ministry of) Home Affairs to file detailed affidavits and CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) is also directed to submit contract-wise details and the persons to whom it was awarded," said the court. It will now hear the case next on Jul. 21.

 

The apex court was hearing a petition by non-government organisations Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Senaa, alleging that all the government contracts in the state were being awarded to close family members of the chief minister. The petition stated that Drema's firm Brand Eagles had been awarded a large number of government contracts despite there being a clear conflict of interest. 

 

The perusal of the list of contract works settled in favour of family firms shows that it was all done in an arbitrary manner by selectively managing the tender in favour of the family-owned firms, the petition said. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, said the state of affairs was shocking and Arunachal Pradesh was being run like a private limited company.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Saji George Titus

 

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