MHA Mulls Direct Funding to 3 Mizoram Autonomous District Councils

Aizawl, Sep 6 : Three autonomous district councils in Mizoram may soon receive funds directly from the Centre without routing through the state government account as the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has been mulling the proposal, official sources said here today.

The Mara, Lai and Chakma autonomous district councils have been demanding direct Central funding for decades but could not succeed as all the political parties except the ruling Congress party opposed the demand.

The officials said that the MHA had recently sent a letter to the state chief secretary Van Hela Pachuau to comment on the proposal for direct funding.

A meeting of the leaders of the three autonomous district councils held at south Mizoram's Lawngtlai town on Friday last lauded the proposal of the MHA and also decided to meet President Pratibha Patil during her visit to Aizawl on September 23 and 24 and proposed to submit a memorandum demanding a separate Rajya Sabha member for the three autonomous district councils.