Mizoram Health minister steps down from cabinet, quits as MLA

Mizoram Health Minister Lal Thanzara today submitted his resignation from the cabinet as well as quitting as a legislator in the wake of Opposition charge that he was involved in "office of profit" scam.
Thanzara announced his decision at a meeting of the ruling Congress workers at the Congress Bhavan informing that he submitted his resignation letter to Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and Assembly Speaker Hiphei.
Thanzara, the younger brother of the Chief Minister, said that he decided to step down as the charges against him, though baseless and false, may cause embarrassment to the government and the party.
He denied the allegations by the Opposition that he received pecuniary benefits from a construction company working under the state government.

Thanzara, however, admitted that the said firm 'Sunshine Overseas Company' gave him shares, but without his knowledge.
"I learnt about the shares only after the allegations by the opposition and confirmed the fact after I asked the company executives," he said, adding that he did not know about it earlier as he had never received any pecuniary benefit from the shares.

He, however, claimed that having shares in a company by a minister was not illegal or improper.
Opposition parties had accused the Health minister of giving undue favour to the said company by awarding crores of rupees worth contract as he was holding a plethora of shares in the construction company.

The opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) youth President K Vanlalvena had alleged that Thanzara was holding 4,76,000 shares, which was 21.6 per cent of the total shares of the company.
"The total value per share was Rs 50," Vanlalvena today said, adding that it was a clear case of corruption and the chief minister must have knowledge about it.
He said the MNF would pursue the matter further if Lal Thanzara's resignations were not accepted by his elder brother.