AIZAWL: The Mizoram government has availed loans from Reserved Bank of India (RBI) as ‘overdraft’ six times between July 21 and August 2 in the current 2022-23 fiscal, an official of the state finance department said on Sunday.
The official said that the government had availed loans amounting to Rs 256.396 crores as overdraft during the period.
The state government is currently facing a financial crunch and payment of salaries to government employees has been delayed at least two times in July and August.
Meanwhile, opposition Congress spokesperson Lallianchhunga has alleged that the government made easy cashout to certain contractors, whom it favours even as the government delayed payment of salary and medical bills amounting to crores of rupees under the state health care scheme are pending payment to the beneficiaries.
He told reporters that the government has released crores of rupees to certain contractors and firms recently at a time when the state is reeling under an acute financial crisis leading to the delay in salary and medical bills paid.
Quoting a reply under the Right to Information Act, Lallianchhunga said that contract bills amounting to over 9 crores submitted by first a class contractor named Kamlova Chhangte were released on the same day the bills were submitted.
Another bill amounting to Rs. 9.92 crore by Chhangte was again released from a district treasury within a week, he said.
He alleged that two bills amounting to Rs. 8.84 crores by another contractor named Zoramchhana, who is the relative of the chief minister, were also released recently on the same day the bills were submitted. Besides, bills amounting to crores of rupees were also to
Northeast Consultancy Services (NECS), a construction firm owned by sports minister Robert Romawia Royte, MLN projects, Tantia Construction Limited and other contractors on the same day they submitted their bills, he said.
Despite repeated attempts, officials could not be contacted for comment.
Lallianchhunga alleged that the financial crisis under the present government has now reached its climax.
He said that medical bills amounting to Rs. 77 crore under the state health care scheme were pending for release to the beneficiaries.
According to the Congress leader, a total of 39,505 beneficiaries have been registered to avail of health insurance under the health care scheme.
Medical bills submitted by 72 per cent of the beneficiaries are now pending for release, he added.
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