Probe neta-ultra ties in Arunachal Pradesh: Ex-governor

New Delhi: Politicians and separatist militants have very close ties in Arunachal Pradesh and the President and PM were informed about it in writing, former Arunachal Pradesh governor J.P. Rajkhowa told this newspaper.

“It was common knowledge that a number of MLAs and ministers were maintaining close links with the underground elements and outfits for support during election time, more particularly, in eastern Arunachal Pradesh,” Mr Rajkhowa said.

“Even in the capital complex areas (Papum Pare district) one indigenous outfit, which was defunct for a few years, was revived with support from very important politicians. I had referred the matter to the police as also the Army commander, during a meeting for necessary action. My apprehension on this was also conveyed to the President of India and Prime Minister in writing.”

Appointed as governor of the Northeast state in June 2015, the 1968 batch Assam cadre IAS officer had kicked up a storm when he stood up to the Centre’s directive to resign on health grounds stating that he would rather be sacked. He was relieved of his post on September 12, 2016.

Seeking a CBI-NIA inquiry into the allegations made by former Arunachal chief minister Kalikho Pul in his suicide note dated November 8, 2016, where he named several big politicians involved in corrupt practices, the former governor said: “Since big names are involved, only organisation like CBI/ NIA should investigate to ascertain the missing links and verify the truth or otherwise.”

“In the absence of a vigilance and anti-corruption directorate and also non-appointment of Lokayukt for the state, thorough probes are never made. Only some departmental/ CID inquiries are done. The big guns are never touched,” he said.

Interestingly, Dongwimsai Pul, the third wife of the late CM on Saturday demanded a CBI inquiry into the allegations the CM had made in a 60-page suicide note titled “Mera Vicchar (My opinion)”.

On the reported endemic corruption in the hilly state, Mr Rajkhowa said that quantifying it was a very difficult task. “However, if we take the annual budgeted expenditure figures of about Rs 13,000 crore on the average during the past five years, you will see that at about 60 per cent corruption, it would be about Rs 39,000 crore in total,” he said, adding that he not only felt helpless, but failing to take any action on the corrupt even lost his sleep for days failing to take any action on the corrupt.

Naming the Public Distribution System (PDS) and Hill Transport Subsidy (HTS) scheme to transport the PDS items to inaccessible hill areas as the main “milch cows” used by the corrupt politicians to loot the public exchequer, Mr Rajkhowa said he had asked the state government to take action against the corrupt officials.