Gov’t to wait for outcome

SHILLONG, NOV 9: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today said that the findings of the investigation and the pronouncement of judgment delivered by the court will be the guiding principle for his government for dropping of a cabinet minister in connection with the education job scam.

Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of a cabinet meeting held here, Sangma said that the issue of dropping or not dropping of a minister is also again link with the outcome of the case and the issue of any alleged involvement of the minister concerned.

“So we decided to wait for the outcome, allegations and the whole findings of the investigation and pronouncement of judgment should be the guiding principle for my government and this is the stand I have taken from day one,” he said.

He also added, “We have taken a conscious stand that the allegations, the whole process of law and outcome thereof, will be taken as the guiding principle for us to decide on the fate of any member of the cabinet.”

Stating that the government has been waiting for the outcome of the ruling of the High Court, Sangma however said but this case has not been confined only with the high court but also the Apex court.

It may be mentioned here, there has been demands from several quarters for the immediate dropping of the cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, who was the then education minister of the state following the scam unearthed by the CBI.

The Meghalaya High Court in its judgment passed recently had handed over the investigation into the infamous 2009-education job scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is directed to submit its report within a period of six months.

Asked, the chief minister informed that the whole exercise is on as to what will be future course of action in as far as the court’s ruling is concerned as this ruling also have lots of ramification.

“That ramification has to be examined from both legal perspective and constitutional perspective and from the principle of natural justice perspective since it affects all categories of teachers who were appointed after the whole recruitment process,” he said.

According to him, therefore the government is examining from all angles and based on which further course of action will be decided upon.

By Our Reporter