Mizoram govt incurred loss of Rs 128cr in ginger procurement, minister tells assembly

Aizawl: Mizoram govt has incurred a loss of over Rs 128.38 crore in ginger procurement during 2025, agriculture minister PC Vanlalruata informed the state legislature on Wednesday.The loss arose from purchases made through primary collection centres (PCCs) and secondary collection centres (SCCs) across the state, and subsequent sales to empanelled buyers.Replying to a question from BJP member K Beichhua, the minister said the govt spent Rs 1,41,16,84,410.5 on ginger procurement at support prices last year, while revenue from empanelled buyers amounted to only Rs 12,78,07,290.Responding to queries from opposition members, Vanlalruata clarified that no fund was lost due to malpractice. He explained that irregularities were detected before payments were made.“The malpractices were uncovered in July last year, prompting the Mizoram Agriculture Marketing Board (MAMB) to form an SIT. The SIT visited four SCCs and found that some individuals had purchased ginger cheaply from farmers and attempted to resell it at SCCs by registering on the portal,” he said.He added that the discrepancies were corrected before funds were released, preventing misappropriation.The SCCs where such attempts were detected include Farkawn, Khuangleng, Cold Storage New Champhai, and Ramhrangkawn — all located in Champhai district bordering Myanmar.