Mizoram: Royte can’t hold district council portfolio, says Congress leader

Aizawl: Senior Congress leader C. Ngunlianchunga said minister Robert Romawia Royte, who was recently allocated an additional portfolio of District Council and Minority Affairs (DC&MA), is not in a position to hold his new portfolio.

The Congress MLA from Lawngtlai West assembly constituency told a press conference on Monday that the state government should cancel the “Deed of Agreement” signed by the DC&MA department with North East Consultancy Services (NECS), the firm previously owned by Royte if he (Royte) is to be given the DC&MA portfolio.

Ngunlianchunga said that the ownership of NECS is now with Royte’s son Vanlalfelpuia Royte.

“This ownership by the minister’s son, in fact, has violated the constitution and section 9(A) of the Representation of People’s Act,” he said.

He said that the DC&MA department and NECS signed a deed of agreement on June 17 last year for the execution of works under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram(PMJVK) scheme.

Royte, a minister of state in Zoramthanga’s ministry, was recently allotted the DC&MA apart from his existing sports, tourism and information and communication technology portfolios.

On February 28, the ZPM filed a petition urging state governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati to disqualify  Royte for allegedly holding an ‘office of profit’ by owning a consultancy firm that worked on several contracts under the state government in violation of the Representation of People (RP) Act.

The ZPM had alleged in its petition that Royte, the sole owner of North East Consultancy Services (NECS), has been running his firm and regularly paid Goods and Service Tax even after he was elected to the state legislature in 2018.

Although the ownership of the firm was transferred to the minister’s son, the ZPM alleged that the administrative function and monetary benefits are fully controlled by Royte as he is living with his son under one roof.

The governor referred the petition to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 16.

Royte, however, denied the allegation and said that he has proper documents to prove that he did not hold the office of profit. 

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