Waiting for govt response: Arunachal Cong on SC order over firms getting contracts

Itanagar, Dec 5 (PTI) The Congress unit of Arunachal Pradesh on Friday said it is in a wait-and-watch mode after the Supreme Court directed the state government to submit an affidavit detailing all contracts awarded from 2015 to 2025, including those to firms of family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which observed it would consider whether any inquiry is required or not, passed the order on December 2, while hearing a plea seeking a CBI probe into the award of contracts for public works in the state to the firms owned by the family members of Khandu.

Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) spokesperson Kon Jirjo Jotham said the party would refrain from making political comments since the case is sub judice, stressing that it was the prerogative of the state government to comply with the Supreme Court’s order.

He said that the PIL concerned was filed by civil society organisations and pressure groups, and not the party.

"The Congress would wait for the legal process to unfold," Jotham said.

The apex court bench had said that it was alleged before it that the difference between tenders of the competing firms was minuscule.

Noting that "the coincidence is absolutely remarkable," the bench observed, the court said if the difference is minuscule, that shows cartelisation. "If that is so, that becomes serious," it said.

The Comptroller and Auditor General has previously flagged several irregularities in the awarding of contracts to firms owned by the chief minister’s relatives, adding another layer of scrutiny as the case continues to develop. PTI UPL NN