Staff Reporter 

ITANAGAR, Feb 9:  The Arunachal Civil Society (ACS) has demanded the step down of Chief Minister Pema Khandu on moral grounds to ensure a free, fair, and unbiased investigation as well as trial into serious allegations of conflict of interest and abuse of public office that are currently under consideration before the Supreme Court of India.
In its memorandum, the ACS expressed grave concern over what it described as large-scale corruption, favouritism, and governance failures under the present State administration, stating that these issues have severely eroded public trust and raised fundamental questions about transparency and accountability.
Speaking to the media during a press conference, Giah Tanam – Secy IPR  informed that a  Writ Petition was filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by Voluntary Arunachal Sena and Save Mon Region Federation, seeking an independent CBI probe or a Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged award of government contracts to firms owned or controlled by the Chief Minister and his close family members.
Taking cognizance of the allegations, the Supreme Court, by its order dated 18 March 2025, directed the State Government to file an additional affidavit. ACS alleged that the affidavit submitted by the State not only failed to clarify the issues but also suppressed material facts and revealed shocking instances of favoritism in the award of public contracts.
According to the disclosures placed before the Court, companies allegedly linked to the Chief Minister and his family — including M/s Brand Eagles, M/s RD Construction, M/s Alliance Trading Co., and M/s Frontier Associates — were awarded an extraordinary number of contracts and work orders involving thousands of crores of public funds, raising serious concerns of conflict of interest and abuse of authority.
Citing affidavits filed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), ACS stated that participation of family members of Ministers or holders of public office in government contracts constitutes a clear conflict of interest and violates established norms of financial propriety and the Code of Conduct for Ministers.
“In view of the gravity of the allegations, the enormous financial implications, and the involvement of the highest executive authority of the State, the continuation of the Chief Minister in office poses a serious threat to the fairness of the investigation,” the ACS said.
The organization also raised concerns over alleged disproportionate allocation of development funds to a particular district while several other districts remain underdeveloped, and criticized the Chief Minister’s continued silence on the issue of illegal immigration in the State.
Demanding accountability, the ACS called upon Chief Minister Pema Khandu to step down until the completion of judicial proceedings, stating that this was essential to uphold constitutional morality and public confidence in the justice system.
The civil society group warned that if its demands are ignored, it would be compelled to launch a phase-wise democratic movement across the State until transparency, accountability, and justice are ensured.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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