Mizoram repays Rs 63.11 crore liabilities in two years, says CM Lalduhoma

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on January 12 said his government has repaid committed liabilities amounting to Rs 63.11 crore within two years of assuming office in December 2023, asserting that the remaining dues would be cleared in a phased manner.

Addressing a function at the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) party office, Lalduhoma said the state had inherited liabilities of Rs 139.57 crore accumulated under previous governments. “Out of Rs 139.57 crore, the ZPM government has already repaid Rs 63.11 crore in two years. The remaining Rs 76.46 crore will be cleared in due course,” he said.

The chief minister said his government faced serious financial challenges upon taking charge, as several contract works had been awarded earlier without administrative approval, expenditure sanction or formal work orders. He said such practices had contributed significantly to the accumulation of liabilities.

Providing department-wise details, Lalduhoma said that under the Public Works Department, Rs 12.87 crore has been repaid out of a total liability of Rs 18.70 crore. In the Public Health Engineering Department, Rs 48.42 crore has been cleared, while Rs 58 crore remains outstanding. The Power and Electricity Department has an outstanding liability of Rs 12.62 crore out of Rs 14.44 crore, he added.

The chief minister asserted that all outstanding liabilities would be cleared over the next three years. He also claimed that the ZPM government has introduced several structural and administrative reforms over the past two years to improve governance and financial discipline.

Lalduhoma said his government had accorded general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe corruption cases in the state, underlining its commitment to transparency and accountability.

Highlighting achievements in the social sector, the chief minister described the Mizoram Universal Health Care Scheme (MUHCS) as one of the finest healthcare schemes in the country. Launched in March last year and made operational in April, the scheme provides health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per financial year for cashless treatment at government hospitals as well as empanelled private and church-run hospitals.