Itanagar, Dec 13 (Representative) Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt General (Retd) KT Parnaik on Tuesday appointed Prof Pradip Lingfa as the new Chairman of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) and Prof Ashan Riddi, Colonel (Retd) Koj Tari and Rosy Taba as Members of the Commission. Earlier in the day, their names were cleared by the State Cabinet after considering the recommendations of the Screening Committee for selection of Chairman & Member(s) of APPSC and also the recent judgement given by the Gauhati High Court, Itanagar Permanent Bench while disposing of two writ petitions filed by two of the appointees – Tari and Taba, official sources said. “On the recommendation of the Cabinet of Arunachal Pradesh, the Governor, in exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to clause (1) of Article 316 of the Constitution of India read with clause 4 of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission Regulation, 1988 has appointed Prof Pradip Lingfa for the post of Chairman, APPSC and Prof Ashan Riddi, Col Koj Tari (Retd) and Rosy Taba – all for the post of Member, APPSC.
They shall hold the office for a period/term of six years from the date on which they enter upon the office or till they attain the age of 62 years, whichever is earlier, in terms of provisions of clause(2) of Article 316 of the Constitution of India,” read a press note from the Department of Administrative Reforms, Government of Arunachal Pradesh. It may be mentioned that the process of appointment of the new APPSC Chairman and Members got tangled into a long legal battle after Col (Retd) Koj Tari and Rosy Taba had filed two petitions in the High Court challenging the Cabinet decision to cancel their previous selection as Members of the State Public Service Commission on February 7 last. While former Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen (Retd) Shantanu Dayal was appointed as the Chairman, Prof Lingfa, Col (Retd) Tari, and Taba were appointed as members of the Commission by the former Governor after the incumbents resigned on ‘moral grounds’ in October last year following the APPSC-conducted AE (Civil) Main examination’s paper leak scandal that rocked the State. However, the Govt had to cancel their proposed swearing-in due to fierce protest by the aggrieved aspirants under the banner of Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee, and eventually, the entire selection process.
The investigation into the APPSC paper leak scandal has resulted in the arrest of 54 individuals, including 42 government officials. Initially started by State Police’s Special Investigation Cell (SIC), the case is at present being investigated by two central probe agencies – CBI and ED (Enforcement Directorate). The HC, besides ordering that “the petitioners are duly appointed as members of the APPSC”, in its latest ruling, dated December 8, 2023, directed the State Government to continue with the selection process pursuant to the advertisement dated 28th April, 2023, excluding the post of members, to which the two petitioners have already been appointed by a notification dated 7th February, 2023. The newly appointed APPSC Chairman and Members, including Col Tari and Taba, will take the oath in a swearing-in ceremony being held at Raj Bhavan here tomorrow, official sources said. Pradip Lingfa is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at North Eastern Regional Institute of Science & Technology (NERIST), Nirjuli, while Prof Ashan Riddi is the Head of Department of History at Rajiv Gandhi University. Tari is a retired colonel and Taba is a former member of the State Women Commission and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.