Itanagar: The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to submit its response within three weeks regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that alleges Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has awarded government contracts to his family members.
The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, was informed that the state government has already filed its affidavit as per the court’s order on March 18.
The PIL was jointly filed by two NGOs, Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena, which claim that all government contracts in the state are being given to the chief minister’s close family members.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, referred to the March 18 order and said the Centre had not filed its affidavit yet.
“State of Arunachal Pradesh is being run by the chief minister like his private limited company,” Bhushan alleged.
When he argued the state’s affidavit talked about hundreds of contracts being awarded, Arunachal Pradesh’s counsel opposed it.
“It is wrong,” the state’s counsel said, “He is taking out skeletons out of the cupboard when none exists.”
Claiming the plea was a “sponsored litigation”, the state’s counsel referred to contracts awarded in 2010 and 2011.
Bhushan referred to March 18 order which reads, “The Union of India, that is, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, shall also file detailed affidavits”.
“They have not filed. The affidavit now should not only be in response to the petition but it should also be in response to the affidavit filed by the state, as well as the report of the CAG,” he said.
The Centre’s counsel said they were supposed to file an affidavit but the Ministry of Finance was not a party in the matter and the ministry will have to be impleaded.
“This court had given you a direction. File the affidavit,” the bench observed.
“Don’t tell us all these technicalities. There is a specific direction by this court that the Union of India, i.e., the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance shall also file a detailed affidavit. That is more than enough for you to have filed an affidavit. There is no need to be impleaded,” the bench said.
While it noted the state filing an affidavit, the bench said, “However, the Union of India prays for and is granted three weeks and no more time to file an affidavit.”
The bench also allowed the petitioner to file a response to the affidavit filed by Arunachal Pradesh.
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On March 18, the apex court ordered the state to file a detailed affidavit. The document must provide details of the parties who were awarded contracts mentioned in the petition. Chief Minister Pema Khandu is also a party in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
