Aizawl: Mizoram’s main opposition party Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) on Friday came down heavily on land revenue and settlement minister Lalruatkima for allegedly arbitrarily exerting his power and manipulating the issuance of house passes.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference here, the ZPM’s publicity cell leaders alleged that application forms for house passes could be obtained by aspirants with only the permission of the minister.
They said that application forms are being issued to only those applicants, who obtained permission from the minister.
They said that the existing process has greatly inconvenienced the people in obtaining house passes.
“The process is not only inconveniencing the people, but it is also a manifestation of exerting arbitrary power to manipulate issuance of application forms for house passes,” one of the publicity department leaders J. Lalramnghaka said.
He said that people have to wait for a long time to acquire the application form because the minister was irregular at his office.
Quoting a reply under the Right to Information Act, Lalramnghaka said there is no such law that the minister can rely upon to issue house pass forms from his table.
“We ask the minister to stop creating hindrance and burden to the people by exerting his arbitrary power in manipulating the process,” he said.
Expressing regret for the existing system, the ZPM leader further alleged that equality before the eye of law is fading away under the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and the gap between the powerful and powerless is rapidly widening.
The manipulation by the land revenue and settlement minister also showed that the MNF government did not represent the people, he said.
Lalruatkima could not be contacted for comment.
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