Mizoram MP demands central probe into Rs 187.90 crore land deal near Lengpui airport

Mizoram’s lone Rajya Sabha member K. Vanlalvena on February 6 demanded a high-level inquiry into an alleged Rs 187.90 crore land acquisition deal, urging the Union Home Ministry to direct a central investigating agency to probe the matter.

In a letter addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Mizo National Front (MNF) leader flagged what he described as serious irregularities in the acquisition of land near Lengpui Airport and Sihphir village on the outskirts of Aizawl. Vanlalvena said the land was reportedly acquired by the state government for the Indian Air Force to establish air defence systems.

Raising concerns over the process, the MP alleged that the land was purchased at exorbitant rates in violation of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. He further claimed that mandatory legal procedures, including publication of acquisition notifications in newspapers, consultations with village councils and the conduct of social impact assessments, were bypassed.

“As a result, public money amounting to over ₹187.90 crore appears to have been laundered through questionable intermediaries, raising serious concerns of corruption and collusion,” Vanlalvena stated in his letter, seeking urgent intervention to ensure accountability.

The issue has triggered a sharp political confrontation in the state, with the opposition MNF and Congress on one side and the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) on the other. Both the MNF and Congress have demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe after recent media reports highlighted the alleged irregularities.

On Thursday, the MNF and Congress submitted separate complaints to the state Chief Vigilance Officer and the CBI, seeking a federal investigation into the alleged scam. Although the ruling ZPM initially announced that it would also approach the CBI to demonstrate its integrity, the party later deferred the move.

Revenue Minister B. Lalchhanzova told reporters on Friday that the ZPM’s Political Affairs Committee had decided not to file a complaint with the CBI for the time being, opting instead to observe the progress of the complaint already filed by the Congress. He added that the government was open to granting prosecution sanction or consent to the CBI if the agency seeks it during the course of the inquiry.

The controversy centres on compensation of ₹187.90 crore paid by the state government for acquiring private land purportedly for an IAF air defence system or fighter base. The opposition parties have alleged that two individuals, who were not original landowners, received the bulk of the compensation, with one allegedly paid ₹70 crore and another over ₹117.90 crore, while actual landowners received little or nothing.

The MNF and Congress have also claimed that a process which normally takes years was completed in just 70 days, alleging that mandatory provisions such as the Social Impact Assessment and formal notification to village councils were waived.

The ZPM government has denied any wrongdoing and has countered the allegations by blaming the previous MNF administration. Lalchhanzova alleged that during 2019–2021, the earlier MNF government had attempted to permanently sell the land to the Indian Air Force, an action he claimed would have violated Mizoram’s land protection laws.