AIZAWL: Mizoram’s essential opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) has urged state governor Hari Babu Kambhampati to disqualify sports activities minister Robert Romawia Royte for allegedly holding ‘office of profit’.

ZPM alleged that Mizoram sports activities minister Robert Romawia Royte owns a consultancy agency that labored a number of contracts below the state authorities in violation of Representation of People (RP) Act.

ZPM basic secretary (Vigilance division) SL Ngursailova Sailo stated {that a} petition looking for the disqualification of Royte, who additionally holds Tourism, Information and Communication Technology portfolios in Mizoram cupboard, was submitted on Tuesday.

The petition submitted to the Mizoram governor stated that Royte, the only proprietor of North East Consultancy Services (NECS), has been operating his agency and frequently paid Goods and Service Tax even after he was elected to the state legislature in 2018.

While the NECS with Royte because the proprietor was registered below the GST in 2017, Vanlalfelpuia Royte, who’s the organic son of the Mizoram minister, has additionally been registered because the proprietor of the agency below GST in May 2019, the petition stated.

The consultancy agency, nevertheless, didn’t register below the Company Act 1956 and Mizoram Societies Registration Act, 2005, it stated.

The petition stated that the agency entered into subsisting contract with the federal government by executing ‘deed of agreement’ with the state District Council and Minority Affairs division in June 2022 for execution of works below the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram(PMJVK) scheme for 2 years, which contravened part 9A of the RP Act.

The settlement was carried out by means of ‘single source selection’ in violation of the Mizoram Transparency in Public Procurement Act, 2008 and the Mizoram Public Procurement Rules, 2020, it stated.

Royte has hid in his affidavit concerning the ongoing initiatives undertaken by his agency on the time of submitting nomination in 2018 and the NECS has been executing numerous initiatives because it was authorized as empaneled agency by the state authorities in September 2022, it stated.

“As Vanlalfelpuia is fully dependent on and has not separated from his father with whom he lives under one roof, the administration and function of the NECS is fully controlled and administered by Royte,” the petition stated.

It additionally stated that each one the financial advantages and different pursuits are loved by the minister by advantage of holding proprietorship of the agency.

“Seeking and receiving monetary benefits by the minister through his firm is not only ‘conflict of interest’, but also misuse of power and a breach of people’s trust,” the petition stated.

The actions taken by Royte have been unlawful and arbitrary that violated the RP Act and rendered him liable to be disqualified as legislator, it added.

Royte couldn’t be contacted for remark.

With declared belongings value Rs. 44 crore, the Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator from Aizawl East-II constituency was the second richest amongst 209 candidates, who contested the final meeting polls in November 2018.

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