The number of illegally appointed employees in PHE&WS department increased to 25

Itanagar: The number of illegally appointed employees in the Public Health Engineering and Water Supply (PHE&WS) department has increased to 25. Recently, 17 regular work charge (WC) employees were illegally appointed in the department. Giving this information, Tadar Dawa, President of All Arunachal Pradesh Public Health Engineering and Water Supply Department Workers Union (AAPPHE & WSDWU) said that this number is expected to increase further in the coming days. “We are still waiting for RTI responses from some districts. The number of illegally appointed persons is expected to be much higher,” he said. Meanwhile, the union has decided to postpone its proposed strike after the PHE&WS Secretary assured action. Secretary AK Singh has asked for one week’s time for action. Therefore, we have decided to postpone the strike for a week. SIC has also sought approval from the government and we are hopeful that the approval will be received soon,” Dawa said. AAPPHE and WSDWU had on Thursday announced that they would stage a statewide strike from May 13 if the state government failed to meet their demands on the appointment of 17 regular WC employees in the PHE&WS department. The union had recently demanded an SIC inquiry and quashing of appointment orders issued to illegally appointed persons. Taking cognizance of the report of illegal appointments made through Miao Circle PHE&WS Superintending Engineer, the PHE&WS Under Secretary has written a letter to the Chief Engineer of Eastern Region seeking a report. “It has come to the notice of the department that during the last few months, several WC appointments were made illegally without informing higher authorities under the office of the Superintending Engineer, Miao Circle. Therefore, a detailed report is to be submitted to the undersigned within seven days from the date of receipt of this letter,” the letter read. Wancho Council, the apex body of the Wancho community, has also demanded immediate cancellation of the illegal appointments made in the department. The Council has written a letter to the Chief Secretary expressing deep displeasure over the illegal appointments made in the PHE&WS department in Longding and Changlang districts. “The department neither advertised to fill the vacant posts nor constituted a DPC for such appointments. It is shocking that some of the appointments were made as late as March 2024, while the notification for simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and the State Assembly was issued on March 20 and the Model Code of Conduct was in force. It is now necessary to find out whether the erring officer has the authority to issue fresh appointment orders and immediately transfer the same appointee in the same manner,” the council said. It said the illegal appointments have harmed the job prospects of casual laborers who have given more than 20 years of service to the PHE&WS department in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts. “There are also many casual workers who have more than 30 years of service. They are hoping that their jobs will become regular. But these appointments have taken away their quota,” the council said, and demanded appropriate legal action against the officials involved in the illegal appointments.