Mizoram Congress alleges massive misuse of restricted tenders by MNF, ZPM governments

Senior Mizoram Congress leader TT Zothansanga on July 10 accused both the previous Mizo National Front (MNF) government and the incumbent Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) administration of extensively misusing the restricted tender system to award public contracts through opaque and questionable processes.

Addressing a political session at the Congress Bhavan in Aizawl, the former MLA asserted that Congress governments had used restricted tenders only in exceptional circumstances and never in a manner that attracted public criticism.

"The Congress government resorted to restricted tenders only when necessary. There was nothing controversial about the practice during our tenure, and we never misused it," Zothansanga said.

Targeting the previous MNF government, he alleged that restricted tenders worth ₹862.12 crore were awarded by the Public Works Department and Sports Department. He further claimed that two relatives of former Chief Minister Zoramthanga were awarded contracts worth a combined ₹211.91 crore, calling it an instance of excessive favouritism.

The Congress leader also accused the ruling ZPM of abandoning its election promise to ensure transparency in public procurement. He said the party had criticised the MNF over restricted tenders before coming to power and had promised to discontinue the practice altogether.

According to Zothansanga, the ZPM government later empanelled 328 consultancy firms and authorised them to undertake works through restricted tenders and departmental execution. He alleged that Chief Minister Lalduhoma granted blanket approval for projects worth ₹629.17 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme and other works involving these firms, taking the total value of approved projects to ₹957.17 crore.

He further claimed that 135 projects worth ₹986.71 crore had already been awarded through the Chief Minister's Office, describing it as unprecedented in Mizoram's contracting history.

Citing a Congress review of government departments, Zothansanga said the party had so far examined 14 major departments and found restricted tenders worth ₹4,636.98 crore and departmental works worth ₹910.64 crore, bringing the total value of projects scrutinised to ₹5,547.63 crore. He added that more than 15 departments were yet to be reviewed.

The Congress leader also alleged that several contracts which could have been executed by local contractors were instead awarded to firms from outside the state.

There was no immediate response from either the MNF or the ZPM regarding the allegations.