Staff reporter
ITANAGAR, SEP 16:
The Arunachal Jankalyan Sangathan (AJS) on Wednesday raised a series of demands concerning alleged financial irregularities, transparency and governance issues in the Arunachal Pradesh State Transport Services (APSTS), including Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model bus operations under the APSTS and issues faced by APSTS vendors.
Addressing reporters in a press conference held at the Arunachal Press Club here, AJS chairman Nabam Tama alleged that Transport Minister Ojing Tasing had awarded work orders through a “give-and-take” policy and to kith and kin. He alleged that the minister was therefore not interested in resolving the issues concerning APSTS.
Tama informed that a meeting was held on June 13, 2026, with Home Minister Mama Natung, Transport Minister Ojing Tasing, APSTS General Manager Mito Dirchi and Deputy General Manager to discuss the issues concerning APSTS.
During the meeting, the concerned minister had assured that all the issues raised by AJS and the Arunachal Transport Supply Maintenance Vendor Association (ATSMVA) would be resolved within four months, Tama said.
However, he alleged that the minister and the department had failed to fulfill the assurances.
He further alleged that the Transport Minister’s attitude towards the issues remained unapproachable. He said the organisation had therefore approached Home Minister Mama Natung, with a meeting scheduled for September 20.
“We shall go for a legal fight after the meeting with the Home Minister on September 20, as the Transport Minister is not interested in solving the issues raised,” Tama said.
The AJS demanded termination of the existing APSTS-Sachkhand Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement for Volvo and electric bus operations, alleging that the arrangement had resulted in financial losses.
The organisation also called for an immediate halt to the expansion of e-bus services under the existing PPP model, citing alleged annual losses and financial strain on local ST MSMEs and workshop owners.
It further demanded a special inquiry and audit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) into alleged revenue leakage and misuse of powers, besides seeking clearance of pending bills of local tribal APSTS vendors.
The AJS also demanded reforms in the tendering process, calling for an end to alleged offline tendering and “pick-and-choose” and “give-and-take” work orders. It urged strict adherence to Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), General Financial Rules (GFR) and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) guidelines.
