CM Pema Khandu asserts to initiate action against SSB fiasco

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday made it clear that those involved in the Staff Selection Board (SSB) fiasco will not be spared and the guilty will be punished as per relevant rules and laws.

Speaking at a function here, Khandu expressed surprise on the audacity of those involved despite his repeated warnings against corruption.

“For the last three years I have been repeating on every available platform that corruption in any form will not be tolerated and those found guilty, irrespective of power and position, will not be spared. I am literally surprised that despite the repeated warnings people still has the courage to corruption,” he exclaimed.

The APSSB came under public criticism after a suspicious optical mark recognition (OMR) sheet was seen doing the rounds on social media, soon after the results of the exam for lower divisional clerk (LDC), junior secretariat assistant (JSA) and other posts were published on its website on February 14.

Several aggrieved candidates who appeared for the examinations conducted by the Board, on Monday launched a protest march here, demanding immediate suspension of APSSB Chairman VC Verma and controller of examinations SK Jain for their alleged failure to conduct the exams properly.

Khandu said that SSB was constituted to provide transparent, fair and equal playing ground for the unemployed youths of the State to join government jobs at the lower levels. He said SSB was his vision to root out corruption in recruitment of lower level jobs, which was prevalent when recruitments were done independently by the departments.

“It breaks my heart to see my vision being shattered by few individuals. I reiterate nobody found involved, be it anybody, will be spared,” he reiterated.

The Chief Minister informed that the government has taken suo-moto cognizance of the fiasco and immediately registered a case under relevant sections and handed it over to the Special Investigation Cell (SIC).

“Within a day of investigation, SIC has got several leads and I assure to the people that soon the guilty will be in the dragnet of law,” he said.

Khandu appealed to the government officials to stick to rules and discharge their duties in a fair, transparent and impartial manner.

He regretted that despite wholehearted efforts “leakages” are still happening in the system and urged the government employees to change the system from within.

Pointing that one day everybody, including him, ministers, MLAs and even government officials, would become ‘former’, he said then they would regret that they did not change the system when they had the power to do it.

“We just need the willpower to do so today. Once I become former chief minister and you all retire, we may have the ‘will’ but not the ‘power’ anymore,” he said.

Reminding the absolute mandate of the people for this government during the last Assembly elections, he said it proved the confidence and trust the people have on the present government.

“In return of the confidence, people have lots of expectations from us. I will not think twice to take action against those found tinkering with people’s expectations,” Khandu added.

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