Make disaster expenses public, MNF leader asks Cong govt

A senior leader of the opposition Mizo National front (MNF) today demanded that the Congress government in the state provide details of expenses to help the people affected by the natural disaster last year.

At least 13 people were killed, 172 domestic animals perished and over 3,000 houses destroyed in the landslides and flood between May and July 2017, Lalhming Liana, a former Rajya Sabha member, said.

Liana also accused Chief Minister Lalthanhawla of ignoring disaster affected people of his own state while sending Rs 2 crore for the flood-hit population of Kerala.

"The Centre had released Rs 35.97 crore on March eight, 2018 for the disaster affected people of Mizoram. But how the fund was utilised was never known," Liana, also chairman of MNF's internal vigilance committee, said.

He demanded that the government make public the details of how it has utilised the central fund.

The state government disbursed Rs 2 crore as relief for the Kerala flood victims and 34 ruling legislators were asked to contribute Rs 1 lakh each separately, he said.

But the ruling party legislators did not immediately pay the amount from their local area development scheme and Rs 34 lakh was sent to Kerala from the account of the state Disaster Management and Rehabilitation department, he claimed.

The Congress government promptly helped people of another state but failed to provide compensation and relief to Mizoram's own people, Liana alleged.

Election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly will be held on November 28. Mizoram is the only state in the northeastern region where the Congress is in power.