After the 2018 Mizoram assembly elections, the Congress faced a drubbing defeat, and the Mizo National Front (MNF) won 26 out of the 40 seats in the state assembly. The MNF is a member of the NDA and an ally of the BJP. The current government is led by the MNF supremo, Zoramthanga.
The government, thus far, has been under the fire of many, including its own ally, the BJP. The BJP has time and again levelled corruption charges against the Zoramthanga led government, with the most recent one being that the government covers up the corrupt practices of the MNF. Mizoram Minister, R Lalzirliana had alleged large scale corruption in the Chakma Autonomous District Council(CADC) during the BJP-Congress tenure.
Notably, the BJP and the Congress had forged an alliance back then to lead the CADC. Rebutting these allegations, in a press release, BJP secretary Rupayan Chakma said, “The one-man inquiry commission, constituted and headed by Lawngtlai deputy commissioner Shashanka Ala, on July 25 this year, said that even a single corruption was not committed during the previous BJP-led executive committee and the commission has been mandated to only look into the allegations made against the current executive committee of CADC. Making allegations on the previous BJP-led executive committee of CADC in the on-going commission report does not arise.”
Except that now, ThePrint has reported of a potentially large scale corruption scandal by the present government in Mizoram. According to the report, many Mizoram residents have received congratulatory letters from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The letters congratulate the individuals for having obtained ‘pucca’ houses under the Modi government flagship housing programme, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojan (Urban), the government has set a target of constructing around 1.12 crore houses in urban areas by 2022. The Centre will also provide financial assistance to recipients under the housing scheme. According to the website of PMAY (U), 88.19 lakh houses have so far been sanctioned, 52.32 lakh houses are grounded for construction and 24.16 lakh houses have been handed over to beneficiaries.
In Mizoram however, the curious case of people receiving letters for houses under PMAY that have seen no progress is quite bizarre. This issue was a hot talking point in Mizoram in the month of September especially, but saw no mention in the national media so far. The people concerned largely agreed that it is quite predictably a case of corruption by the Mizoram government. The government, on the other hand, has apologized on their part and said they were sorry if the scheme could not be implemented properly.
In reality, according to what ThePrint gathered from the ground, the then government, ahead of elections last year, disbursed the full funds package (amounting to approximately Rs. 1.5 lakh) to a select few instead of the initial installment to all the chosen beneficiaries. The process of selection of these few beneficiaries has not been defined by the government, and seems to be haphazard and a result of crony-nepotism. As a result of this lump-sum disbursement of funds to a select few, the beneficiaries who have not received any funds so far are being made to suffer. Had this issue not erupted on the face of the MNF government, it would simply keep its mouth shut on the matter. The people who have received the letters now also fear that they may not be eligible for any further funds as the government data might state that they have already received the money, while there could also be a possibility of money being siphoned off to other quarters.
Jonathan B. Lalrinngheta, a resident of Hnahthial town in south-west Mizoram told ThePrint, “I don’t see how this can be the result of incompetence. I think this is corruption.” R. Lalfakawma, village council president of Bairabi north, at least 200 people from the town had applied under the PMAY but none had received any funds so far. The other beneficiaries, who have not benefited so far, share the same sentiment.
The Central government must step in at this juncture and ensure that the people who have been duped of their rightful funds are not deprived of a house. The corruption/inefficiency of the state government should not be an impediment in the successful implementation of this ambitious housing scheme.
