Mizoram

Earthquake of 4.7 magnitude strikes Mizoram's Champhai

According to NCS, the earthquake hit Champhai at 6:16 am

Amit Shah to visit Mizoram to lay foundation stone of development projects

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Mizoram on Saturday during which he will inaugurate and lay foundation stone of development projects worth Rs 2,414 crore, officials said. Shah will inaugurate the Assam Rifles battalion headquarters complex at Zokhawsang and the integrated command and control centre under the smart city limited. The home minister will lay the foundation stone for construction of Zorinpui- Longmasu section of the National Highway 502A, sources said. Shah will also lay the foundation stone for the construction of two sections of the Aizawl bypass (package 1 and package 2) and the construction of Laldenga centre. Security has been beefed up across Mizoram in view of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the state, a senior police officer said. Mizoram Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte told PTI that all police units across the state have been alerted and proper security arrangements made in the state capital.

Drugs worth Rs 400 cr seized by police in Mizoram, Assam; three arrested

Huge quantities of drugs valued at more than Rs 400 crore were seized from two neighbouring northeastern states Mizoram and Assam on Wednesday and three persons were arrested, officials said. The seizure of 39 lakh tablets of specific brands of decongestant and antihistamine worth Rs 390.4 crore was made from a house in east Mizoram's Champhai town bordering Myanmar. It is one of the biggest drug hauls made in the state, they said. Decongestants are a type of medicine that provides short-term relief for nasal congestion while antihistamine is commonly used to treat symptoms of allergies. A police officer said that heroin, estimated to be valued at over Rs 12 crore, was found in a car in Assam's Karimganj district. The Assam Rifles which conducted the raid in Mizoram along with the Customs department said in a statement that the consignment was sent from Aizawl to be delivered somewhere in Myanmar to make Methamphetamine tablets, which would have again smuggled to India. A ...

Amit Shah to inaugurate Assam Rifles complex in Mizoram: Officials

According to officials of the Aizawl Smart City Project, the proposed Rs 1.93 crore centre would be built on the northern side of Assam Rifles ground in the heart of the state capital

Mizoram plans to set up 5 hydro power plants of 800 MW capacity

The Mizoram government has prepared Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for five hydro-electric power plants in the state with a total generation capacity of around 800 MW, Power & Electricity Department officials said on Tuesday.

Mizoram: 42 candidates in fray for Lunglei Municipal Council polls

Altogether 42 candidates are in the fray for the first Lunglei Municipal Council (LMC) polls in Mizoram on March 29, officials said Thursday. The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and Congress have fielded 11 candidates each, while the BJP is contesting in nine wards, they said. More than 40,000 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the municipal elections. Polling will be held between 7 am and 4 pm, the officials said. Counting of votes will be undertaken on April 3. LMC was created by the MNF government headed by Chief Minister Zoramthanga in 2022. It is the second municipal council in the state after the Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC). There are 11 seats in the LMC, of which four are reserved for women.

Mizoram exports bird's eye chilli to US for first time to expand the market

Mizoram has exported locally grown bird's eye chilli', a Mizo organic chilli, to the United States for the first time as part of an initiative to expand the market and boost farmers' income, an official said on Wednesday. State Agriculture Minister C. Lalrinsanga flagged off 7.5 metric ton of typical Mizo chilli to the US from south Mizoram's Lunglei district on Tuesday, the official said. The organic chilli was harvested by farmers from the three southern districts of Lunglei, Siaha and Lawngtlai, she said. The shipment is being transported to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh from where it will be sent to Nevada in the US, she said. The initiative was taken jointly by International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA) under Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCD-NER) and Mission Organic Mizoram (MOM) of the agriculture department. Flagging off the consignment, Lalrinsanga congratulated the Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) for successf

Mizoram has resources that are conducive for setting up big industries: CM

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Thursday said the northeastern state is rich in natural resources and has the infrastructure, which is conducive for setting up big industries. Addressing a programme at Mizoram University at Tanhril on the outskirts of Aizawl, as part of India's G-20 Presidency, the CM said Mizoram has "vast and fertile land", which could feed two to three times the state's population. "We have vast land, raw materials, good climate, clean atmosphere and connectivity. We also have a compact society and strong NGOs, speak one language and follow almost one religion that creates an environment conducive for setting up industries," Zoramthanga said. Mizoram has huge potential for agriculture and horticulture, he said, adding that the state has all the pre-requisite ingredients, which are "conducive for setting up industries and processing units". He urged the Centre and other participating foreign countries to invest in various sectors in the state. Zoramthanga

No encroachment by Assam in state's territory: Mizoram Home Minister

Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamlianna Monday told the state legislature that no encroachment was made in the state's territory by Assam. Mizoram did not lose any land to Assam, rather it occupies some areas which fall in Assam according to the 1933 notification, he said. No farmer practicing plantation or farming along the Mizoram-Assam border has faced harvest problem till now, the minister said. "Assam does not encroach or grab Mizoram's territory. In fact, some areas occupied by Mizoram now fall under Assam as per the notification issued on 9 March, 1933, which the neighbouring state (Assam) accepts as its constitutional boundary," Lalchamliana said in a written reply to a question from opposition Congress leader Zodintluanga Ralte. He said measures are being taken by Mizoram to occupy the inner line reserve forest notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) in August 1875. The 1875 notification is accepted by Mizoram as its actual boundary, he said. Mizoram .

Implementation of healthcare scheme a top priority of govt: Mizoram CM

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Thursday said the implementation of the healthcare scheme is one of the top priorities of his government under the state's flagship programme Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP). He informed the state assembly that his government has so far allocated about Rs 150 crore under SEDP for the implementation of the healthcare scheme during five financial years from 2019. Replying to a question from opposition Congress leader Zodintluanga Ralte, Zoramthanga, who also holds the planning and programme implementation portfolio, said that under the flagship programme, the government allocated Rs 10 crore in 2020-21, Rs 10 crore in 2021-22 and Rs 20 crore in 2022-23 fiscals for the implementation of Mizoram State Health Care Scheme (MSHCS). Zoramthanga also said that government has also sought Rs 1,000 crore loan from Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the implementation of the healthcare scheme. The proposal for loan has been already been approved by t

Over 31,500 Myanmar, Bangladesh refugees took shelter in Mizoram: Official

Over 31,500 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh have taken shelter in different parts of Mizoram, an official said. The number of Myanmar nationals taking refuge in the northeastern state was 31,050 as on January 27, and those from Bangladesh were 541, he said. The Bangladeshi nationals are lodged in 160 makeshift camps set up in eight villages in Lawngtlai district, the official said. The Myanmar nationals, mostly from Chin state, fled to Mizoram following a military coup in the neighbouring country in February 2021, while the asylum seekers from Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) came to the state after a military offensive against an ethnic insurgent group, he said. Mizoram shares a 510-km long porous border with Myanmar and a 318-km boundary with Bangladesh. Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana had recently informed the assembly that the state government has so far released over Rs 3.8 crore as part of relief measures for the Myanmar nationals, and Rs 30 lakh for those

Service sector continues to drive Mizoram's economy with 50% share in GSVA

The tertiary or service sector continues to drive Mizoram's economy with a lion's share of 50.08 per cent of the Gross State Value Added (GSVA) being contributed by the sector, according to the Economic Survey of Mizoram 2022-2023. The Economic Survey presented by Chief Minister Zoramthanga in the Assembly on Tuesday said that the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has been continuously growing over the years at an impressive rate. The GSDP at constant prices (2011-12) is expected to attain an amount of Rs. 19,036.83 crore in 2021-22 against the estimate of Rs 16,969.85 crore for the year 2020-21 showing a growth of about 12.18 per cent over the previous year. Whereas the GSDP at current price registered an increase of 15.25 per cent over the previous year, it said. The GSDP at current price is estimated at Rs 28,480.10 crore in 2021-22 as against Rs 24,712.26 crore in 2020-21. The GSVA at constant (2011-12) prices has clocked a 9.43 per cent average annual growth rate during ...

Mizoram made wasteful expenditure of over Rs 15 cr in ropeway project: CAG

The Mizoram government has incurred "wasteful expenditure" of over Rs 15 crore in the installation of the rope way cable car project from Dartlang to Chaltlang here, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has said. The CAG report said that the union tourism ministry observed that the work components consultant did not did not submit a feasibility report or mention in its DPR that the project would go through three power transmission lines. The Rs 99.07 Aizawl-Lengpui-Hmuifang under the Eco circuit theme of Swadeshi Darshan scheme ropeway project by the union tourism ministry was started in March 2017 was to be completed in 30 months. The Dartlang-Chaltlang project was a part of it. The Union Tourism Ministry had, however, observed in December 2019 that the work component of the ropeway was undertaken without obtaining the necessary approvals and without assessing the feasibility of the project, the CAG report said. Moreover, the meeting between the tourism department an

Mizoram Health Minister lays foundation stone for HIV/AIDS resource centre

Health Minister R Lalthangliana on Friday laid the foundation stone for the State Resource Centre for HIV/AIDS at Mizoram New Capital Complex in Aizawl. The Rs 4 crore project is funded under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. "Although the project is named State Resource Centre for HIV/AIDS, it will be the office of the Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS)," the minister said. He said that the society has been without a permanent office for years. The event was attended by MSACS Steering Committee chairman and MLA ZR Thiamsanga, and health secretary Esther Lal Ruatkimi. Mizoram now has the dubious distinction of being the highest HIV/AIDS prevalent state in the country. According to MSACS, 27,241 people have been diagnosed with AIDS since October 1990 when the first HIV-positive case was reported in the state. So far, 3,506 people have died due to the deadly disease in the state.

Need to probe into avoidable expenses by health dept: CAG to Mizoram govt

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has observed that there is a need to investigate into avoidable expenditure of Rs 5.3 crore incurred by the Mizoram health and family welfare department. The CAG report tabled in the assembly by Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Thursday said that the Directorate of Hospital and Medical Education (DHME) had entered into a memorandum of understanding with Intergen Energy Limited (IGEL) in 2012 for the installation of renewable energy and water treatment plants at nine hospitals based on suo-motu proposals submitted by the Delhi-based firm. According to records of the DHME, water treatment plants were installed by the firm in five hospitals at a total cost of Rs 50 lakh and payments were made to the entity between March 2012 and February 2014, the report said. The private entity provided water to four hospitals for a short duration, ranging from four months to two years, and failed to supply water to a hospital even though the MoU stated

Mizoram govt working to provide piped water to all rural households by Dec

The Mizoram government is working to provide piped water connections to all rural households in the state by December, Deputy Chief Minister Tawnluia told the assembly on Thursday. Replying to a query by MNF MLA Ramthanmawia, Tawnluia who also holds the Public Health Engineering portfolio said every household in 263 villages has so far been provided with potable water connections under the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). He said that 465 more villages are yet to get the connections. "Although the deadline for JJM is 2024, the Centre asked the Mizoram government to complete the implementation by December this year. We are making massive efforts to fully implement the scheme by December. However, it is difficult to make it clear whether we will be able to complete it within the timeframe," Tawnluia said. A total of 728 villages in Mizoram will get water connections under the scheme. Tawnluia said 11 villages have so far been provided connections using solar water pumps under the

Mizoram CM presents Rs 14,209 cr zero-deficit budget; no new tax proposals

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Monday presented in the assembly a zero-deficit and non-surplus annual budget for the financial year 2023-24 with a total outlay of Rs 14,209.95 crore. There was no proposal for levying new taxes or hiking the existing tax rates. The chief minister also tabled supplementary demands for the current fiscal (2022-2023) amounting to Rs 3,265.69 crore. The total budget outlay was Rs 14,008 crore in the last financial year. Zoramthanga, who also holds the finance portfolio, said that emphasis was laid on the Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP) and Rs 595 crore was allocated to it for the 2023-24 fiscal. The SEDP is the flagship programme of the Mizo National Front (MNF) government which aims at bringing sustainable development by accelerating progress in key sectors through exploration and judicious use of resources. "Out of Rs 595 crore, I commit to allocate Rs 300 crore under family-oriented SEDP for the year 2023-24," Zoramthanga, who also h

Assam Police seizes 2000 kg Burmese betel nuts smuggled from Mizoram

Assam Police foiled a smuggling attempt and seized 2000 kg of Burmese Supari (betel nuts) concealed inside of the oil tanker in Cachar district, which was illegally transported from Mizoram, said

Assam Rifles recovers drugs worth Rs 6.66 crore in Mizoram, four held

In a joint operation carried out with the Excise and Narcotics department, Aizwal, Assam Rifles apprehended four persons and recovered 20000 Methamphetamine tablets worth Rs. 6,66,60,000 in Aizawl District's Tuikhurhlu area.As per the officual press release from the Assam Rifles, two vehicles (Hyundai Grand i10 MZ 05A8395 and Maruti Ciaz MZ O1T 5265) were also seized.The operation, led by inspector General Asam Rifles comprised of the Aizawl Battalion of 23 Sector Assam Rifles, was conducted based on specific information on December 29."Approximate cost of the recovered Methamphetamine tablets is Rs 6,66,60,000-(six crores sixty-six lakh sixty thousand only). The seized consignment, vehicle and apprehended individuals were handed over to Excise & Narcotics Department, Aizawl on December 29 for further legal proceedings," stated the release by the Assam Rifles.As per the statement, the ongoing smuggling of illegal drugs is a significant cause of concern for the state of ...

Cash-strapped Mizoram gets Bangla refugee influx; border talks with Assam

Already overburdened with Kuki-Chin refugees from strife-torn Myanmar, Mizoram, which is reeling under a financial crisis, received a fresh stream of displaced people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh this year. More than 300 Kuki-Chin refugees from CHT took shelter in the northeastern state following armed clashes between Bangladesh Army and insurgents belonging to the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA). The state now hosts a total of 40,000 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Mizos share ethnic ties with the Kuki-Chin people. The Zoramthanga administration is reeling under a severe financial crunch due to the COVID-19 pandemic and delay by the Centre in releasing the state's share of taxes and grants. The crisis has resulted in delays in timely payment of salaries to government employees, and pensions to retirees, besides clearance of bills. However, the state government hopes that the crisis will be resolved in 2023 with the release of more funds from the ...