Gauhati High Court junks plea on Arunachal’s 'Rs 142 crore scam' in central welfare scheme

The Itanagar Bench of the Gauhati High Court has dismissed and disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) related to an alleged Rs 142 crore scam in Arunachal Pradesh. 

The PIL, numbered 13/2022, was filed by Kaku Potom and pertained to allegations under the Centre’s Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY).

Earlier, Arunachal Against Corruption (AAC), an NGO, has accused the CM Khandu of being involved in multi-crore scams in various departments, including the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) fund.

"The Court is of the considered opinion that apart from the fact that this PIL does not disclose cogent materials based on which any presumption can be drawn that there was any illegality in the tendering process. This Court also finds that the petitioner has no locus-standi to present this PIL," reads the order.

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Advocate Pracha claimed that “in the affidavit of the responder, it is clearly mentioned that without the approval and signature of Chairman State Level Supervising Committee (SLSC) the Detail Project Reports has been sent to Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, Ministry of Power.”

"The approval of DPR was sent to REC on 15th October 2019, but interestingly departmental committee to approve the DPR was constituted on 22nd November 2019," stated Advocate Pracha.

He also informed that the government responder in its affidavit also mentioned that Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, Ministry of Power has directed over the phone to process the tender.

"We are not arguing that the whole Rs 142 crore has been misused. But there has been embezzlement of funds that needs to be investigated," he said.

Petitioner Kaku Potom has claimed that projects under DDUGJY are still not completed, and many projects are still under construction. 

"I have personally visited various locations of Tawang, Bomdila, and Namsai.  There are loopholes in the DPR, even the Chief Engineer has acknowledged it," he added while appealing for a third-party inquiry committee to probe the alleged scam.