Thursday, June 18, 2015

Mizoram: BJP says Panchayati Raj MoS to explore direct funding for village councils

The Minister of State visited Mizoram earlier this week on an official trip, and also met with the state’s BJP leaders in Aizawl.

Aizawl: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mizoram state unit has declared in a statement that MoS for Panchayati Raj Nihalchand has said that he will explore a way of sending funds to BJP-ruled village councils (the equivalent of Panchayats) directly and not through the state government as is normally done.

The Minister of State visited Mizoram earlier this week on an official trip, and also met with the state’s BJP leaders in Aizawl.

According to a statement from the party’s state unit about Nihalchand’s visit, the MoS said during this meeting that he would explore ways to get funds to the dozen VCs ruled by the party.

The party also alleged the Congress-led state government has misused funds meant for local bodies and have delayed in submitting plans and utilization certificates.

The BJP made electoral history in Mizoram this year by winning seven VCs in the Chakma Autonomous District and later winning another five VCs in rural body polls in six districts of the state mostly populated by the Mizo community.

The number of VCs won by the party, however, remains minuscule given there were 536 VCs in the latter rural polls alone, with the ruling Congress winning 270 and the main opposition winning 125.