The aura of the 74^th Independence Day where the assurance to fight against corruption was conspicuously visible in speeches of various leaders and bureaucrats in Arunachal Pradesh has been marred by the news of yet another case of a purported cash-for-job scam. This time it’s from Tezu and an audio clip which has gone viral by now where one of the candidates is heard claiming and lamenting that despite paying Rs 2 lakh for the post, her name has not featured on the selected list, is the talk of the state. It can be realised what is possibly going on in the minds of thousands of government job seekers of the state. The guarantee regarding transparency in delivery of governance as a very essential feature of an ideal statecraft, particularly in recruitment processes, as frequently and ceremoniously claimed by the state’s leaders has been undermined once more within a span of 6 months since the infamous APSSB scam hit the headlines, which, unsurprisingly hasn’t been completely solved till date. Looking at these back-to-back ‘disheartenments’, one might wonder…..which is more lethal in Arunachal ….corona or corruption?

However harsh it may sound, it will be hard to deny that corruption, of variant colours and degrees, time and again has surfaced tarnishing the state’s image steadily. Among many, the TAH scam has deeply depreciated the state’s standings across India and a perception has unfortunately developed that corruption is the mainstay in delivery of governance, leading to the state’s prolonged underdevelopment. While it can be debated if the menace is the lone contributor in deferring development, its overwhelming presence, just like across the country, is also factually not incorrect. The Lohit case comes at a time when substantial headway in the APSSB in exact legal parameters is still awaited. It needs mentioning that even if the high-level inquiry committee report of the case has already been submitted to the state government, it has not yet been made public. This is a direct and hard hit to the aspirants who have now started believing that merit comes way later in state-controlled recruitment examinations and except for ‘deep pockets’ there are really no chances. Spending thousands of rupees in taking professional coaching and burning the midnight oil are all but sheer wastages- it’s the feeling perhaps now nurtured by the majority of state’s government job hunters.

In democracy, it’s the law, written or unwritten, that feelings of the majority are to be honoured. On that principle, governments come to power and the vice versa happens. The voice of the Arunachalee youths, which in majority is waiting for a ‘course correction’ in this regard must be heard now.

Corruption in all state government recruitments, irrespective of the posts’ weight mustn’t be tolerated any more.