Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Senior Vice President Lalnunmawia Chuaungo on Thursday visited Khawzawl district, where he held meetings with party workers and later addressed local journalists on issues relating to governance, corruption, and the state’s development.
Speaking to reporters, Chuaungo expressed concern over what he described as the growing prevalence of corruption in Mizoram, a state once regarded as among the least corrupt in the Northeast. He said practices such as open tenders, restricted tenders, departmental works, and work supervisors, which were not commonly associated with controversy a decade ago, are now frequently discussed in connection with alleged irregularities.
“Corruption is eating away our state like cancer,” he said, adding that it was particularly alarming when those entrusted with safeguarding public resources were perceived as failing to prevent such practices. According to him, the state risks heading down a path of decline if corruption is not effectively addressed.
Highlighting the state’s financial position, Chuaungo noted that Mizoram’s budget has more than doubled over the past decade. He said the Budget Estimates for 2026–27 stand at ₹17,496.91 crore, compared to ₹8,038.39 crore in 2016–17, an increase of more than ₹9,458 crore. Despite this substantial growth in government revenues and development funds, he argued that the visible benefits of development have not adequately reached the people.
He maintained that if public funds were utilized transparently and efficiently, Mizoram would witness much greater progress. The Congress leader also questioned why complaints of financial hardship continue to be widespread among the public despite the state’s increasing budgetary resources.
According to Chuaungo, concentration of public funds in the hands of a few individuals due to corruption reduces the share available to ordinary citizens and weakens economic activity across the state. He said this situation has adversely affected livelihoods and income-generating opportunities for many people.
The former IAS officer further emphasized that the Chief Minister and Ministers are custodians of public money entrusted to them by the people and are duty-bound to use those resources in accordance with the law for the welfare and development of the state. Public funds, he said, should not be used for personal gain or to benefit a select few.
Also Read | No electricity, no internet, just hope: Inside Assam’s extraordinary ‘Living School’