Guwahati: The Supreme Court (SC) agreed on Tuesday to examine a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that accuses Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu of awarding government contracts to his family members.
The court instructed the state government to provide details about the beneficiaries and confirm whether it followed the proper process in awarding the contracts.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
A bench consisting of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Sanjay Kumar, and Justice K.V. Viswanathan requested responses within five weeks from the union ministries of Home Affairs, Finance, and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
The NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena filed a PIL claiming that Khandu directed all government contracts in the state to his close family members.
The bench specifically asked the state government to provide details on whether Pema Khandu himself had received any government contracts. Additionally, the court asked for information regarding any contracts awarded to other family members of the chief minister.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
During the hearing, the Chief Justice stated the need for clear answers from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
He instructed the state to disclose which parties received the contracts and to confirm whether they followed the proper tendering process.
The bench also requested that the Arunachal Pradesh government submit a detailed affidavit outlining the parties awarded contracts, particularly those mentioned in the PIL. The court will hear the matter again after July 21.
The court also requested a final status report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), taking into account the code of conduct for lawmakers and their involvement in awarding government contracts.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner NGOs, argued that the state ran like a private company and claimed that Khandu’s family members, including his wife and cousins, owned all the companies receiving government contracts.
In defense, the state government opposed the petition, calling it an abuse of the legal process.
The government’s counsel pointed out that the CAG’s report showed Arunachal Pradesh was taking necessary actions and argued that the petition was politically motivated.
Bhushan alleged that these contracts misappropriated hundreds of crores.
The Chief Justice demanded clear answers on the parties involved and whether the due process had been followed.
The PIL claimed that Rinchin Drema’s firm, Brand Eagles, received numerous government contracts despite a clear conflict of interest. The petition argued that the preferential treatment in awarding contracts to family-owned firms suggested direct involvement, consent, and support from the chief minister.
The plea also highlighted that the state government’s Department of Relief and Rehabilitation awarded the restoration works for flood damage.
Dorjee Khandu, Pema Khandu’s father, headed the department until 2011, and Pema Khandu took over afterward.
The petition argued that the awarding of contracts to a select group of firms owned by the minister and his family undermines good governance and transparency in administration.