The court asked the state to provide a contract-wise breakdown of all work orders issued between 2015 and 2025 to companies owned by Khandu or his family members. The directive came during the hearing of a petition filed by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena.
Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Prashant Bhushan cited earlier disclosures stating that 31 contracts worth ₹188 crore were awarded in Tawang alone over the past decade, along with additional work orders of ₹2.61 crore. He also highlighted the pattern of minimal difference in tender amounts — often as little as 0.01% — between the winning bids of companies linked to the CM and competing firms.
The petitioners argued that projects below ₹50 lakh were routinely allotted without a tender, enabling unchecked preferential awards. The state government defended its position, saying contracts were given to companies trusted by local communities, and firms owned by the CM’s family fell within that category. It added that most tenders saw only two participants.
The case has revived scrutiny of Khandu’s political and economic influence. The three-term chief minister, who switched parties thrice in six months in 2016, won unopposed from Mukto in both 2011 and 2024. According to ADR, he is the second richest CM in the country with assets of ₹332 crore.
In July 2025, the government revealed that four family-linked firms received contracts worth over ₹380 crore in Tawang over 10 years, with the CAG flagging irregularities in several cases. The matter will be taken up after the state files its affidavit.
