New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday (April 6) has ordered a preliminary probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations against the Arunachal Pradesh Government for awarding public contracts to companies owned by relatives of chief minister Pema Khandu.A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria directed the CBI to submit a report within 16 weeks. The CBI has been directed to examine contracts awarded between January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2025, LiveLaw has reported. The court has said that the CBI will not be barred from examining contracts outside the period. Further the court has directed the state chief secretary to appoint a nodal officer within a week to coordinate with the CBI.The order was passed on a petition filed by two organisations Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Senaa, who alleged that contracts worth Rs 1,270 crore were awarded to the chief minister’s kin.The court permitted the CBI to examine all contracts awarded specifically to firms linked to Khandu, his wife, his father’s second wife Rinchin Drema, his nephew Tsering Tashi, Hindustan Times has reported.During the hearing the bench observed that it was a remarkable “coincidence” that work orders and tenders were given to family members.“The coincidence is remarkable that in a state, work orders and tenders are given to family members in huge numbers,” the bench was quoted as saying.Last July, the Arunachal government had said in the Supreme Court that 95% of the contracts which were awarded to firms or individuals related to Khandu’s kin were through the process of “open tender” and were given after inviting and evaluation of technical and financial bids. The state government had denied adopting any “pick and choose” or showing “undue favour” in respect of any of the beneficiaries named.Following the Supreme Court’s order, the Congress said that the “Na khaunga, na khane doonga” slogan has proved to be “completely false.”“This is just the beginning. Many other BJP chief ministers also fall into this category – including at least one such Chief Minister from the Northeast, who is soon to become a former Chief Minister,” said Congress MP Jairam Ramesh.“‘Na khaunga, na khane doonga’ has proven to be a completely false slogan – the layers of which are now beginning to be uncovered,” he added.