Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on January 12 said that his government has repaid committed liabilities worth Rs 63.11 crore within two years of assuming office in December 2023. He said the remaining dues would be cleared step by step in the coming years.The chief minister made the statement while addressing a programme at the office of the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM). He said that when the present government took charge, Mizoram was burdened with liabilities amounting to Rs 139.57 crore, which had accumulated during previous governments. “Out of the total Rs 139.57 crore inherited by us, we have already repaid Rs 63.11 crore in the last two years. The remaining Rs 76.46 crore will also be cleared in a phased manner,” Lalduhoma said.
The chief minister explained that the government faced serious financial pressure at the beginning of its term. He said many contract works had been taken up earlier without proper administrative approval, expenditure sanction, or official work orders. According to him, these irregular practices were a major reason behind the piling up of unpaid bills and liabilities. Giving 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 already been cleared, while Rs 58 crore is still pending. He added that the Power and Electricity Department has outstanding dues of Rs 12.62 crore out of a total liability of Rs 14.44 crore.The chief minister assured that all pending liabilities would be cleared within the next three years. He also said the ZPM government has brought in several administrative and structural reforms to improve financial discipline and governance in the state.
Highlighting steps taken to ensure transparency, Lalduhoma said his government has given general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate corruption cases in Mizoram. On the social front, he spoke about the Mizoram Universal Health Care Scheme, calling it one of the best health schemes in the country. The Mizoram Universal Health Care Scheme, launched in March last year and implemented from April, provides cashless treatment with health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per financial year at government, private, and church-run hospitals.
