Itanagar: The Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee (PAJSC) has appealed to Chief Minister Pema Khandu for a roundtable meeting to resolve the APPSC paper leakage scandal through constructive dialogue and achieve a logical resolution.
The committee, during a press conference at the Press Club here on Wednesday, informed of its decision to set aside the demand for the examination to be declared “null and void” for legal scrutiny.
According to the PAJSC, this move is attributed to the belief that this particular demand has halted the overall progress of the movement, overshadowing other essential demands that require urgent attention.
In a letter submitted to the chief minister, the committee requested an appointment for a round table meeting on November 29.
PAJSC vice-president, Tadak Nalo, emphasised that the insistence on the “null and void” demand is impeding their ongoing efforts to garner widespread support and hindering decisive action from the state government on this critical matter.
Nalo acknowledged that the demand for declaring the exam “null and void” is now subject to legal deliberations.
However, he expressed confidence that civil society organizations, community-based organizations (CBOs), student bodies, and parents of affected individuals will unite to pursue the remaining 12-point demands without any reservations.
“While the committee has left the decision on ‘null & void’ to legal considerations, we urge the state government to promptly address the remaining 12-point demands. Additionally, there are a few additional demands that also require attention,” Nalo said.
These additional demands include the construction of a statue honoring Gyamar Padang at 6 Kilo, the immediate revocation of the suspension order against PAJSC Chairman Techi Puru, providing a reward to the family of Gyamar Padang, and implementing the Arunachal Pradesh Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2023, after incorporating inputs from PAJSC.
The PAJSC also demanded the immediate withdrawal of all charges against protesters and compensation for those injured during the public bandh on February 17-18. Additionally, they called for the announcement of the Gyamar Padang Bravery Award to recognize the courageous spirit of the individual who challenged corrupt practices.
Nalo highlighted the 14-month struggle of the PAJSC against the APPSC paper leakage scandal and expressed dissatisfaction with the state government’s perceived negligence and sidelining of the issue without a logical conclusion, particularly concerning the future of the youth.
“We want to clarify that it’s not the PAJSC disrupting the commission from holding examinations or forming the commission. It is the commission that has yet to work out comprehensive standard operating procedures for conducting exams,” Nalo said.
The PAJSC leader characterised the APPSC scandal as a severe detriment to the future of students, with only 10% of the scam exposed so far by investigating agencies. He also expressed concern about the grant of bail to the alleged kingpin of the scam, Taket Jerang, indicating a potential lack of thorough investigation and raising questions about the intentions of the state government.
“The grant of bail to, Taket Jerang, clearly indicates the level of investigation conducted by the agencies. This shows the intentions of the state government. Such precedence remarks negatively impact the aspirants as well as the public,” he added.
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The question paper leak incident came to light after one Gyamar Padung, a candidate of the APPSC assistant engineer (civil) examination himself, filed a police complaint before the Itanagar police station on August 29 claiming that he suspected that the examination paper had been leaked.
The case was initially investigated by the Capital police and later transferred to the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) of the state police and then the CBI.
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