Arunachal: Employees’ union alleges illegal appointments in PHE dept

Guwahati: The All Arunachal Pradesh Public Health Engineering & Water Supply Department Workers Union (AAPPHE&WSDWU) has raised concerns about potentially illegal appointments within the department.

The union filed a written complaint with the Itanagar Special Investigation Cell Superintendent of Police on Monday (May 6, 2024), Arunachal Times reported.

Armed with Right to Information (RTI) documents, they allege that 17 unqualified individuals were recently appointed as regularized work-charged (WC) employees in the Public Health Engineering & Water Supply (PHE&WS) departments of Changlang and Longding districts. The union demands an investigation to identify those responsible.

The union expresses outrage over the appointments, highlighting that all 17 individuals were appointed to permanent WC positions and then transferred to various divisions across the state within a single month (March 2024). They further allege the involvement of high-ranking officials in the two districts and a lack of official appointment orders for these appointees.

“None of the illegal appointees are locals of the two districts or have ever worked in the PHED&WS department before. They are all fresh appointments. How can the department appoint fresh candidates without issuing any formal official order when there are hundreds of casual workers in the state who have been serving in the department for 20 and even 30 years? They have been awaiting regularisation of their jobs for decades and are still pleading with the state government to take up their genuine issue. This is gross injustice to all of them,” the union stated.

The AAPPHE&WSDWU alleged the injustice done to existing casual workers who have served the department for decades. They argue that these long-standing employees deserve regularization over newcomers lacking experience or prior service.

AAPPHE&WSDWU President Tadar Dawa suggests the number of questionable appointments may be even higher than initially reported.

He claimed the RTI reveals additional potentially illegal appointments, including 30 in Itanagar and others scattered across various districts. The union awaits further RTI details but promises to share them upon receipt.

The union has also petitioned the Chief Secretary for immediate intervention. Their demands include the cancellation of all allegedly illegal appointments and posting orders.

They have issued a one-week ultimatum to the state government, threatening a "democratic action in the form of a statewide 24-hour water supply halt" if their demands are not met.