More Mizoram Ministers’ villas under scanner

AIZAWL, May 27: After Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana’s multi-storey building at Durtlang, lavish villas of two Congress politicians – former Minister and present MLA Lalrinliana Sailo and Minister KS Thanga are caught on the radar of PRISM. The corruption watchdogturned-political party PRISM (People’s Representatives for Identity and Status of Mizoram) general secretary SL Ngursailova Sailo has revealed that both the politicians owned villas worth not less than Rs 5 crore at Luangmual locality here. Alleging that the two politicians could not have constructed such an expensive building and bought the land from their known sources of income, the PRISM general secretary demanded them to prove they are free of corruption. 

Thanga was elected to State Assembly for the first time in 2008, and was re-elected in 2013, and is currently a Minister of State. “Before 2003 elections (which he contested but lost), he had Rs 7,20,000, two vehicles and a house worth Rs 25 lakh,” Sailo said. In his affidavits before 2008 elections, Thanga declared that he had Rs 8,10,000, a Maruti car, a bike and two plots of land worth Rs 20 lakh. His total assets were Rs 28.10 lakh. After serving as Parliamentary Secretary for five years, Thanga became richer and had Rs 30.50 lakh, a Scorpio SUV, i10 car, a house worth Rs 45 lakh, and two plots of land worth Rs 30 lakh. His total assets rose to Rs 1.22 crore, according to his own declaration of assets before 2013 elections, the PRISM general secretary said. “Even so, the Minister is not that rich, according to his own declaration of assets and known sources of income, to build such an expensive building,” he said. Coming to Lalrinliana Sailo, the PRISM leader said he has been elected MLA for three consecutive terms since 2003. He was made a Minister for one term from 2008 to 2013. 

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According to his affidavits before 2003, he had Rs 4.20 lakh, and owned a Tata tipper and a Gypsy, but no house and land. He became richer during the first five years, and had Rs 10.56 lakh and vehicles, but still no house and land to call his own. After serving as Minister for five years, Lalrinliana Sailo had Rs 29,81,219, an i20 car and land worth Rs 20,000 but still no house, according to his declaration of assets before 2013 elections. His total assets were just Rs 36,01,219, making him one of the poorest Congress MLAs, the PRISM leader said. “However, when we found his villa which costs not less than Rs 150 lakh, we came to know that he is richer than his declaration of assets before elections,” he said. 

The building and the land on which it is constructed together would cost not less than Rs 300 lakh, which is clearly disproportionate to his known sources of income. “We hope that the two politicians will be able to clarify and prove themselves clean to the satisfaction of the people. If not, the long arm of the law will someday catch them,” the PRISM leader warned.