SC Orders Centre to “Come Clean” on Govt contract involving Arunachal CM’s relatives
Demands Transparency Over Government Contracts Worth Hundreds of Crores.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has directed the Union Home and Finance Ministries to provide a clear response regarding the allocation of government contracts—amounting to several hundred crores—to the wife and family members of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by two NGOs—Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Senaa—insisted on full disclosure. The PIL alleges that “hundreds of contracts” were awarded to the Chief Minister’s family, with at least 70 going to his wife’s company.
“We must have a clear-cut answer on who received these contracts and through what process,” the Chief Justice stated. “If tenders were not called for, that must also be made clear. Both ministries must come clean, and we need to see who is behind this.”
SC Orders Centre to “Come Clean” on Govt contract involving Arunachal CM’s relatives
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The court has given the Arunachal Pradesh government five weeks to file a detailed affidavit listing the parties to whom contracts were awarded. Additionally, it has instructed the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to submit a final report, rejecting an earlier CAG report as insufficient. The next hearing is scheduled for July 21.
During the proceedings, the Arunachal Pradesh government defended the contracts, stating that they were awarded in accordance with legal guidelines and that the land was provided free of cost for employment generation. The state counsel argued that the PIL is limited to just one of the 28 districts in Arunachal Pradesh and dismissed it as “an abuse of due process.”
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“This is a politically motivated PIL,” the state government stated. “The petitioners are individuals who do not want development in the state.”
Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, strongly criticized the contract allocations, alleging that the state is being run like a private business. “The state of affairs is shocking,” Bhushan said. “All major contracts are being awarded to the Chief Minister’s wife, cousin, and other family members.”
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The petitioners have called for an independent probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter.
With the Supreme Court now demanding greater transparency, the case could set a precedent for stricter scrutiny of government contracts linked to politicians and their families.
