New Delhi [India], March 18 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Union Ministries of Finance and Home Affairs to file a report on the allegation that various contracts of the public works in Arunachal Pradesh were awarded to firms linked to Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s family members.
The bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices P.V. Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Viswanathan, took a serious view of the allegation and asked the ministries to clarify their stance.
“We want the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Home Affairs report. The CAG report is neither here nor there. We must have a clear-cut answer as to who the parties to whom the contract is awarded and what is the process. If tenders were not called for, it must be stated. Both the ministries must come out clear. We also need to see who are the ones behind it,” said the bench.
It also asked Arunachal Pradesh and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to file a report on the allegations as well.
In its order, the bench said, “We need a detailed affidavit from the State of Arunachal furnishing details of parties to whom the contract was awarded and about the contract mentioned in the plea. In addition, the reply shall entail contracts awarded to respondents 4 to 6. Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs to file a detailed affidavit and CAG is also directed to submit contract-wise details and the persons to whom it was awarded.”
The apex court said that copies of the report are to be filed in five weeks and posted the matter for hearing in the week commencing July 21.
The order of the top court came on a PIL seeking a CBI or SIT probe into the award of contracts for public works to firms owned by family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
The plea was filed in the top court by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena.
Pema Khandu’s father Dorjee Khandu’s second wife Rinchin Drema and his nephew Tsering Tashi have also been made parties in the case. In a helicopter crash in 2011, Dorjee Khandu died when he was the Chief Minister.
“Rinchin Drema’s firm, Brand Eagles, has been awarded a large number of government contracts despite there being a clear conflict of interest,” the petitioner claimed.
The PIL claimed that when there is evidence of government contracts being awarded solely to firms owned by the family members of the Chief Minister and his close associates, it is reasonable to infer that such favouritism in awarding government contracts of vast magnitude could not have occurred without the direct knowledge, consent, and active support of the minister concerned.
“The Minister of this department was Dorjee Khandu, also former CM, till 2011 and then the charge was taken up by his son Pema Khandu, now present Chief Minister. It is a serious cause of concern in view of so many work orders executed by few selective firms belonging to the Minister himself and his family members,” it stated. (ANI)
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