Congress asks govt to re-accord general consent to CBI to probe offences

Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Wednesday urged the state government to re-accords a general consent to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe offences, including corruption cases, in the state. Speaking to reporters at a press conference here, state Congress senior vice president Lalnunmawia Chuaungo said that the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government headed by chief minister Lalduhoma had revoked its order issued in December last year in which the Central investigating agency was given a general consent to independently probe any offences committed by employees of Central government and Mizoram government working in the state without the requisite of prior permission of the state government.

The government revoked its previous notification by issuing a fresh notification on July 1 which stated that no investigation will be taken up by the CBI against any employees of the state government without prior permission.”The state government issued another notification in the official gazette on July 1 in which the CBI was given a consent to independently probe offences committed by employees of the Central government, while prior permission of the Mizoram government is required in order to investigate offences committed by employees working under the state government. This notification makes the earlier notification null and void,” Chuaungo said. Making the CBI director’s letter (generic draft consent notification) to chief secretaries in June as an excuse, the new notification was issued by the state government, he said.

The Congress leader said that they submitted a representation to the chief minister asking him to re-accord general consent to the CBI to independently probe offences committed by employees irrespective of those under state government and Central government and without requiring prior permission. He urged the chief minister to stick to his word as he repeatedly announced publicly that his government will give consent to the CBI to directly investigate offences in the state without seeking permission from the state government. In December last year, the state government had issued a notification giving a general consent to the CBI to probe offences in the state.