Court allows Mizoram govt to disburse money under NLUP-NEDP convergence scheme

The Gauhati High Court on Thursday allowed the Mizoram government to disburse over Rs 164 crore funds to 16,400 families selected as beneficiaries of its flagship NLUP-NEDP convergence scheme.

The Aizawl bench of Justice S Serto dismissed the interlocutory application of the petitioner and allowed the government to disburse the fund.

The government, through ruling party legislators, had selected the beneficiaries for its New Land Use Policy (NLUP) - New Economic Development Policy (NEDP) convergence scheme and Rs one lakh was to be paid to each family before the announcement of the dates of the state assembly polls due by mid-December.

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P L Thanga, vice chairman of the NLUP Implementing Board, told mediapersons after the verdict that the court allowed the government to disburse the funds after it notifies guidelines in the official gazette.

Social activist Vanramchhuangi, popularly known as Ruatfela Nu, had submitted a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Gauhati High Court alleging that the state government was using public money for political gains.

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The high court had earlier instructed the state government not to go ahead with distributing money without transparent guidelines.

Debate over whether the court stayed distribution of money under the flagship program of the present government prompted the counsels for the petitioner submit interlocutory application with a plea for instructing the government not to distribute the money to the beneficiaries before obtaining permission from the high court.