MSU demands revoking appointment of Mizoram state commission for women chairperson

AIZAWL: Alleging nepotism, Mizo Students’ Union (MSU), one of the influential student bodies in Mizoram, on Thursday (April 19), urged the state government to revoke the appointment order of Mizoram State Commission for Women chairperson C Lalchhandami for allegedly violating the eligibility criteria.

Lalchhandami, a sitting corporator of Aizawl Municipal Council (AMC) belonging to the ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), was appointed as the chairperson of Mizoram State Commission for Women on March 8.

MSU president Samuel Zoramthanpuia told a press conference in Aizawl that Lalchhandami has already surpassed the age limit required for the chairperson when her appointment order was issued on March 8.

According to the appointment order, a chairperson can either hold the post for 3 years since her appointment or until she attain 65, he said.

As per an information sought from the state Planning and Programme Implementation department under the Right to Information act, Lalchhandami has retired from government service on superannuation on March 31, 2016, he said.

Lalchhandami has crossed 68 years if her age is counted from the date of her retirement from government service, Samuel said.

In the bio-data she submitted for the appointment of the commission's chairperson, Lalchhandami indicated her age as 64, he said.

Samuel further said that the age of Lalchhandami, if counted from the one she indicated in the pamphlets at the time of the AMC polls in February 2021, is 66 by now.

He said that the student organisation is of the firm opinion that the government gave undue favour to Lalchhandami and thus demanded to revoke the appointment order at the earliest.

Meanwhile, opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) backed the MSU in its demand to withdraw the appointment order.

A statement issued by the youth wing of MNF accused the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) government in Mizoram headed by chief minister Lalduhoma of showing nepotism in the appointment of Lalchhandami as chairperson for Mizoram women commission.