May 21, 2025
May 21, 2025
Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, May 23: The BJP Mandal unit of Yachuli Constituency has alleged that recent illegal appointments in the PHE and Water Supply department were part of a 'job for vote' scam aimed at influencing voters.
Tania Tajing, president of the party's mandal unit, claimed that majority of the illegal appointees, appointing authorities, and transfer authorities in the PHE&WS department are from Yachuli constituency.
These appointments, made just before the state assembly election, raise suspicions of voter manipulation, Tajing said while identifying PHE&WS superintendent engineer of Miao, Joram Badal and chief engineer (western zone) Toko Jyoti as key officials involved in these appointments.
Notably, Jyoti, who also serves as the department's coordinator, is the elder brother of NCP candidate Toko Tatung, who contested against BJP candidate Taba Tedir in the 16th Yachuli constituency.
“This connection suggests that the illegal appointments may be part of a 'job for vote' scheme,” Tajing said.
The mandal president further claimed that thousands of such illegal appointments were made in the department.
Although the state government cancelled the appointments of 20 WC staff after a thorough examination on May 15, he insisted that a comprehensive investigation is necessary.
Addressing media persons at the Press Club on Wednesday, Tajing appealed to the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) of the state police to investigate the illegal appointments and transfers in the PHE&WS department from the perspective of a 'job for vote' scam.
He noted that the transfer and posting of appointees on March 8 occurred without clearance from the finance department.
Tajing also revealed that, according to documents from the finance, planning and investment department, no sanction or concurrence was approved for the year 2023-24 for the appointees.
He called for the investigating agency to conduct custodial interrogations of all head officers and appointees to uncover the truth.
Claiming that more high-ranking officers were involved in the scam, Tajing stated that the PHE&WS authorities issued new appointments in violation of established procedures and without any sanctioned posts.
Further expressing concern that this situation could negatively impact BJP-MLA Taba Tedir, Tajing announced that BJP workers from Yachuli constituency and Keyi Panyor district would organize a rally against corruption in the coming days.
