Govt agree to demands of PAJSC after Bandh abandoned

Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh government has agreed to the 13-point demands of the Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee (PAJSC), which is fighting the state Public Service Commission paper leak case.

The development comes after two days of unrest in the state capital since Friday over the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) not taking proper action against those involved in the cash-for-job scam.
The decision to agree to the demands came after an 8-hour-long discussion between representatives of the state government, PAJSC, All Nation Students’ Union (ANSU), Nari Shakti and activist Civil Dodam at the Civil Secretariat here late on Saturday night.

The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Home Minister Bamang Felix, Water Resources Development Minister Mama Natung along with senior bureaucrats.
According to the minutes of the meeting available, the government responded positively to most of the 13-point demands for which the protestors have withdrawn their bandh call from Sunday.

The government informed that APPSC chairman, secretary and member officials and any other public/private person from 2014 to 2022 are already under investigation. Appropriate action will be taken by the investigating agency CBI based on the findings of the investigation.
The state government had written to the Guwahati High Court to nominate the District and Sessions Court Yupia (or any other District and Sessions Court) as a special fast-track court to hear the APPSC paper leak cases. The High Court has responded positively and agreed to designate the District and Sessions Court Yupia as a special fast-track court to hear the APPSC paper leak cases.
The government has agreed to recommend setting up of a permanent grievance redressal committee and institutional mechanism to deal with grievances of candidates and candidates.

Further, they agreed to demand from the Government of India within a month a high-level inquiry committee headed by a retired SC or HC judge into the paper-leaked examinations wherever the papers were leaked during 2014-2022.
On the request of candidates, the state government will formally write to the Enforcement Directorate within this month to investigate all the officials in APPSC between 2014-2022.
The government also announced that whistleblower Gyamar Padang would be duly recognized for his contribution.

For the past two days, the streets of the state capital were deserted and businesses, markets, banks, educational institutions, government and private offices remained closed and vehicles were absent from the roads.
Thousands of protesters blocked NH-415 by burning tyres. The state capital also saw clashes between protesters and police on Friday, injuring people on both sides. While ten people were injured.
Facing massive protests by angry candidates and their families on Friday, the government temporarily suspended internet services in the national capital from 6 pm on Friday to 5 pm on Sunday “in the interest of public safety”. But it was suspended.

The protesters also damaged some motorcycles and vehicles.
The situation forced Chief Minister Pema Khandu to cancel the swearing-in of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) chairman and members on Friday.

The state government had also postponed the class 5, 7 and 11 state board exams scheduled for Saturday.
Board exams in all schools in the capital have been postponed and will be held later, an official order said.