Shun Cash-for-Vote Culture For Development: Pema Khandu

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday gave a clarion call to the people for clean elections this time around and always, shunning cash-for-votes culture.

Arunachal Pradesh would go to polls for both Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies by April next year.

Addressing a public meeting at Mariyang in Upper Siang district, Khandu said Arunachal Pradesh has earned a bad reputation due to bad election practices, which has resulted in the backwardness of the state on all fronts.

He urged the people to use their franchise to elect leaders, who can actually work for their welfare and development of the state without demanding personal favours, a CMO communiqué informed. “After the creation of Staff Selection Board, you must have realized that favours like job-for-vote is not possible anymore. Now you have to also ensure that cash-for-vote practice is thwarted if you wish to see development in the real sense,” Khandu said.

The chief minister pointed that money-culture in elections has deprived the common people of real development as either leaders spend their five years in accumulating wealth or leaders not fit to be leaders sit on the chair. “If we want change in the system, it is we who have to change first,” he asserted while hinting at ‘hard’ reforms in the near future.

Pema Khandu disclosed that he has already started the exercise to bring in reforms by forming committees of experts drawn from various backgrounds. Expressing confidence of forming the government again in 2019, he said these reforms would be implemented immediately after the elections.

“At first it will cause hardships especially to ministers, legislators, government employees and the people but in the long run the state and its people will benefit. Every change comes with pains and burns but these are short-lived. Ultimate goal is development of the state and welfare of our people,” he said and added that the top three priority sectors that will see major reforms would be health, education and agri-allied sectors.

Also Read: Arunachal News