Aizawl, Apr 17: The Mizo National Front (MNF), Mizoram’s principal opposition party, on Friday accused the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government of delaying the initiation of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged ₹187.90 crore Lengpui land compensation case.

At a press conference, MNF legal board vice-chairman Lalpianfela Chawngthu said the government’s February 23 notification granting general consent for a CBI investigation was only procedural and had not been followed by any concrete action. He alleged that the move was “mere eyewash,” stating that a consent notification alone does not trigger a CBI probe unless a formal request is sent to the CBI director along with the required documents, which, according to him, had not been done.

Chawngthu said MNF representatives had sought updates from the chief secretary on March 25 but were directed to the vigilance department. He added that although the vigilance secretary had assured the party of providing relevant documents on March 26, no information had been shared so far.

A ZPM representative, however, said the government had already granted consent for a CBI investigation following complaints raised by both the MNF and the Congress.

The issue relates to land near Lengpui airport, about 32 km from Aizawl, which was acquired by the Indian Air Force for fighter aircraft operations and refuelling facilities. Opposition parties have alleged irregularities in compensation distribution, claiming that two non-original landowners received the bulk of the ₹187.90 crore payout while genuine landowners were left with minimal shares.