Mizoram: ZPM urges Lokayukta to handover three pending corruption cases to CBI

Aizawl: Ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) on Tuesday urged the state Lokayukta to hand over three pending corruption cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for probe.

Three corruption cases- irregularities in the construction of Ropeway and Skywalk projects in northern Aizawl (2021), misappropriation of NABARD loan for renovation of schools in Mizoram (2022) and mismanagement in the renovation works of Lengpui airport (2022)- are now pending with the state corruption ombudsman and state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the party said in a statement.

Leaders of ZPM's legal department met Lokayukta chairman Lalmalsawma and urged him to hand over the three corruption cases to the CBI for probe at the earliest.

The party said that irregularities in the construction of ropeway and skywalk projects, which were registered in 2021 and misappropriation of the NABARD loan for the renovation of schools in Mizoram registered in 2022 are pending with the ACB, while mismanagement in the renovation works of Lengpui airport registered in 2022 is pending with the state Lokayukta.

It said that the case of the ropeway project between Chaltlang and Durtlang and the skywalk project in Sakawrhmuitualtlang near Aizawl was referred to the ACB by the Lokayukta in May last year and the misappropriation of the NABARD loan case was also referred to the ACB in February this year.

According to sub-section 5 of section 19 of the Mizoram Lokayukta Act, 2014, the investigation of any corruption case should be completed within 6 months from the date of the probing order issued by the anti-corruption ombudsman.

The investigation period can be extended up to three months if it is not completed within six months.

ZPM alleged that no proper investigation has been initiated on the three corruption cases till now.

“We fear that the three corruption cases, which involve misappropriation of public money amounting to crores of rupees, may become neglected if proper investigations are not taken up by Central agencies. We want the three pending cases to be handed over to the CBI,” the party said in the statement.

The party hoped that the state government would be willing to issue consent to the Central investigating agency to probe the three corruption cases.

Officials of the tourism department said that Rs. 485 lakh was sanctioned for the construction of a skywalk at Sakawrhmuitualtlang while Rs 2,482.58 lakh was sanctioned for the construction of a cable-car/ropeway between Durtlang and Chaltlang in Aizawl.

From the money sanctioned for the more expensive of these two projects — the ropeway — almost 54 per cent (or Rs 1,317.8 lakh) had already been disbursed to the contractor, they said.