Enquiry into award of contracts: CBI claims non-cooperation from Arunachal Pradesh govt

The CBI informed the Supreme Court on Monday that the Arunachal Pradesh government has not cooperated in providing records during its preliminary investigation into allegations of favoritism in awarding public works contracts to firms linked to Chief Minister Pema Khandu's relatives. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued a notice to the state's chief secretary and principal secretary, ordering them to appear before the court on August 24 to explain the lack of cooperation and compliance with the court's directives.

The bench emphasized that the state government's non-compliance in providing necessary records was a major concern. On April 6, the Supreme Court had ordered the CBI to begin a preliminary inquiry into the preferential allocation of public works contracts to firms alleged to be owned or related to Khandu's family members. The court stated that such cases required an independent investigation, as public authorities cannot benefit based on political whims.

The investigation should cover contracts and work orders from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2025. The bench's order came after a petition by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena requesting the CBI or Special Investigating Team to probe the matter.