Aizawl: The Mizoram government on Tuesday cancelled the tender for the proposed shelter home for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) community.
The cancellation came a day after the state’s most influential organisation, the Young Mizo Association (YMA), opposed the project and urged Chief Minister Zoramthanga to cancel it.
The notice issued by the state Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation (UD&PA) department on Tuesday said that the tender has been cancelled. “The notice inviting tender for construction of a shelter for LGBTQI at Sakawrtuichhun in Aizawl from funds received from Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as 2nd rank SPARK incentive award 2019-20 among NE and Himalayan states is hereby cancelled,” the notice said.
The government had earlier invited tender for the proposed shelter.
The project was planned to be constructed at Sakawrtuichhun on the western outskirts of Aizawl, according to the government notice on December 6.
The proposed LGBTQI shelter home has been opposed by some political parties, including the People’s Conference (PC) party and the Young Mizo Association (YMA), the largest and most influential civil society organisation in the state.
Leaders of the central committee of YMA or Central YMA (CYMA) had on Monday called on Zoramthanga on the issue and urged him not to proceed with the project.
CYMA president R. Lalngheta had earlier said that the construction of a shelter for the LGBTQI community in the state was unsafe and is not acceptable to the Mizo society as of now.
UD&PA director H. Liazela said that the project is being initiated as per the directive of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and not from the state government end.
He said that the NHRC in July 2021 had requested all states to comply with its mandate to construct shelter homes for the LGBTQI community based on the recommendation of the core group on LGBTQI.
EASTMOJO PREMIUM
Help sustain honest journalism.
He had said that the project sanctioning committee of the UD&PA department in May this year had sanctioned the construction of a special shelter home for the LGBTQI community under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NLUM) after the management of blessing home (a de-addiction Centre) at Sakawrtuichhun, which sought for shelter home, agreed to construct the project at their area.
Rs 40 lakh, which the UD&PA department received as an incentive for its outstanding performance under NLUM, has been earmarked for the project, he had said.
Also Read | Mizoram: State excise minister submits resignation to CM