Mizoram National Front (MNF) MLA Robert Romawia Royte has alleged major lapses in the utilisation of centrally sponsored funds under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI), blaming it on what he called “poor financial management” by the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government.
Speaking at a press conference at the Aizawl Press Club, Royte said funds worth Rs 43,952 lakh under SASCI Part-I for the 2025–26 financial year had lapsed. He held the state government, led by Chief Minister Lalduhoma, who also handles the Finance portfolio, responsible for what he termed a serious administrative failure.
According to him, Rs 11,152 lakh from the sanctioned amount lapsed even after administrative approval and work orders were issued for 41 projects. He warned that this would affect infrastructure development and could lead to a revenue loss of over Rs 2,100 lakh through GST and labour cess.
Royte also claimed that an additional Rs 32,800 lakh allocated under SASCI Part-I could not be used as the funds were not released on time. The allocation had been granted after the Union Finance Ministry’s Department of Expenditure revised its guidelines on September 17, 2025. As a result, the entire amount lapsed by the end of the financial year, while other northeastern states reportedly managed to utilise similar funds.
Referring to earlier instances, he said Rs 23,331 lakh had lapsed in 2024 as well, which was acknowledged by the Chief Minister in the Assembly. That lapse, he added, resulted in a revenue loss of more than Rs 4,400 lakh.
The MNF leader said the issue was not due to officials, pointing out that the same administrative system had handled SASCI funds efficiently during the previous MNF government. He instead blamed the current political leadership for the situation.
Citing a reply to an RTI query, Royte said there is no performance ranking system under SASCI. He claimed that statements made by the Chief Minister about Mizoram’s ranking under the scheme were incorrect.
He also raised concerns over what he called a “very low” allocation for Mizoram under SASCI Part-X for 2026–27. According to him, Mizoram received Rs 100 crore, much lower than allocations to states like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Tripura. He suggested that this could be linked to past lapses in fund utilisation.
When asked about the upcoming Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) elections, Royte expressed confidence that the MNF would win a third consecutive term. He said the civic body had performed better during its recent terms and urged voters to continue supporting the party.
The ZPM government has not yet responded to these allegations.