Arunachal: JAC submits 10-day ultimatum to resolve postal department fiasco

In a significant development, the Joint Action Committee for Postal Department Fiasco (JACPDF) in Arunachal Pradesh has issued a ten-day ultimatum, demanding swift action on two crucial fronts.

1. Inclusion of domicile certificate in the Gramin dak sevak (GDS) recruitment process

The Committee has recommended the insertion of a domicile certificate in the recruitment process for the appointment of 2596 GDS posts. This move aims to prioritize the employment of Indigenous unemployed youths of the state, aligning with the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation, 1873, and Chin Hills Act, 1896.

2. Inclusion of local dialects in GDS posts

To cater to the diversity of Arunachal Pradesh, the Committee suggests incorporating the local dialects of all 26 major tribes in the region as eligibility criteria for GDS posts. This addition aims to support Indigenous unemployed youths, alongside Hindi and English as official languages.

Maji Tayem, the secretary member of JACPDF, demanded the cancellation of non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (non-APST) appointees for both GDS and Branch Post Master (BPM) posts. Various organizations have started withdrawing No Objection Certificates (NOC), but the source of the NOC policy—whether it originates from the state or central government—remains unclear.

The Joint Action Committee for Postal Department Fiasco expressed readiness to implement the recommendation of requiring knowledge of a state dialect if mandated by the state government.

Amidst these developments, the JACPDF appealed to Chief Minister Pema Khandu for prompt action to resolve the postal department fiasco.

The committee emphasized the need for a mandatory domicile certificate and knowledge of local dialects as per the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation, 1873, and Chin Hills Act, 1896.

The JACPDF (comprising of 12 civil society organisations) claims that the 2,596 gramin dak sevak (GDS) posts sanctioned for 866 branch post offices across the state are being occupied by the non-APSTs although all the posts are for the state quota.

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