Aizawl: Mizoram minister and Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) leader Lalsawivunga on Monday claimed that the ZPM government has done things in just 7 months that the Mizo National Front (MNF) and Congress could not do in 37 years.
Lalsawivunga is a cabinet minister in Chief Minister Lalduhoma’s cabinet, holding different portfolios, including local administration, art and culture, animal husbandry and veterinary and district council and minority affairs.
Addressing a function at the ZPM office in Aizawl, Lalsawivunga said that the MNF government, which preceded the ZPM’s, left behind over 13,500 crore liabilities, which is 95.6 per cent of the state’s annual budget of Rs.14,209.94 crore during the 2023-24 fiscal.
He said that the present government has been dragged into a situation to borrow money due to huge liabilities left behind by the previous government.
However, the government will use the money in a meaningful and effective way even if it is borrowed, he said.
He claimed that the present government has cleared all pending medical bills, and power bills and is also able to pay salaries and pensions in time.
Hitting out at the opposition MNF and Congress, Lalsawivunga said that the meaning of politics according to them is nothing but to blame the present government.
He blamed the opposition parties for allegedly blaming the government by levelling baseless accusations.
“The MNF and Congress, which ruled the state interchangeably for 37 years have indulged in unconstructive criticism and levelling baseless accusations against the ZPM government only because the present government executed works which the oppositions could not do or was not willing to do during their tenure,” the minister said.
The animal husbandry and veterinary minister also said that the government is making efforts to make the state become self-sufficient in meat supply.
He said that the government focuses on the cultivation of plants for animal feeds to become self-dependent on meat supply.