Arunachal Pradesh’s political scene has been jolted after the Supreme Court sought a comprehensive report from the state government on work contracts allegedly awarded to firms linked to Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s family.
The apex court’s intervention follows disclosures that four companies associated with the CM’s wife, brother and sister-in-law were awarded work orders worth over ₹146 crore in Tawang district across nine years.
According to an affidavit filed by the Arunachal Pradesh government, a total of 146 contracts valued at ₹383 crore were issued in Tawang between 2012 and 2023, when Pema Khandu served as the state’s youngest and wealthiest Chief Minister. The firms allegedly linked to his family include those owned by his wife Tsering Dolma, his brother and former Tawang MLA Tashi Khandu, and his sister-in-law Nima Dreama.
The controversy reached the top court through two separate petitions — one filed by Jodik Tali, Chief of Voluntary Arunachal Sena, and another by the Save Mon Region Federation. Earlier, on March 18, 2025, the Gauhati High Court had directed the state to file an affidavit naming beneficiaries connected to the CM who were awarded contracts in Tawang.
On December 2, 2025, the Supreme Court acknowledged the allegations and directed the state government to submit a detailed report. The next hearing is scheduled for February 2026.
The development has triggered heated political debate ahead of the December 15 Panchayat and Municipal elections. The ruling BJP has dismissed the allegations as politically driven. Tourism, Rural Works and Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona — regarded as one of the most influential members of the Khandu Cabinet — termed the charges “politically motivated” in an interview with India Today, but declined further comment citing the sub judice status of the case.
The state’s Health and Family Welfare Minister also refused to comment, while the Congress — reduced to a single seat in the 60-member Assembly — likewise refrained from making a statement, saying the matter rests with the Supreme Court.
With the court set to take up the case again in February, the issue is expected to keep Arunachal’s political environment on edge, touching the highest levels of governance in the state.
