A proposed new Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter base near Lengpui airport, some 32 kms from Aizawl, has run into rough weather after allegations surfaced recently over land procurement at twice the price, documents accessed by Northeast News show.
In February last year, the IAF, represented by an Air Marshal, showed keen interest in fast-tracking the airbase project during a meeting the same month and attended by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, other home ministry and Mizoram government officials, Border Security Force, Assam Rifles and security agency officers in Aizawl.
At the meeting, held on February 15, 2025, Mizoram government officials agreed in principle to allow the IAF to build a new facility over 200 acres adjacent to the existing commercial airport at Lengpui which is 32 kms northeast of Aizawl.
However, before the Mizoram government could green-flag the proposal, which would have set the stage for the IAF’s acquisition of land for the new airbase where fighter aircraft would be stationed and setting up a refuelling facility, allegations have surfaced over the inflated price paid to two local inhabitants.
Today, state Congress leaders led a protest march in Aizawl against the proposed IAF airbase in Lengpui.
The Mizoram government acquired eight parcels of land spread across Parchhingchheng and Tuilut villages near Lengpui, by invoking the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
On March 11, 2020, an Under Secretary to the Mizoram government wrote to the Aizawl Deputy Commissioner, saying, “I am directed to request you to issue NOC (no objection certificate) in the matter of acquisition of land for the above said purpose for obtaining ‘in principle approval’ from the Ministry of Defence”.
The “said purpose” was the “Acquisition of land for raising Indian Air Force enclave at Aizawl District”. A copy of the March 11, 2020, letter was sent to the Command Air Defence Officer, HQ Eastern Air Command, IAF, Nonglyer, Shillong.
Last year, compensation was paid out to two individuals – on July 25 and August 26.
The total compensation package was Rs 187.90 crore which was deposited in the bank accounts of two individuals, identified as Henry Lalremsanga Hlawnmual who operates Zawlbuk Real Estate in Aizawl, on July 25, 2025, and Rohmingliana on July 25 and August 26, 2025.
Of this amount, Rs 117.90 crore was paid to Hlawnmual and Rs 70 crore to Rohmingliana.
A Special Power of Attorney executed before a notary on January 9, 2024, shows that Rohmingliana appointed Hlawnmual, who owns properties in Delhi’s Chhatarpur, as his representative to handle the land acquisition by the IAF.
For this, Rohmingliana would receive Rs 70 crore while any amount exceeding this would be pocketed by Hlawnmual.
Local media reports indicate that the Mizoram government has been evasive to the allegations of a scam even as protests were held in Aizawl today.
The state government’s response to queries raised in a Right to Information application has been less than transparent.
When a complaint was made with the Chief Information Commissioner, state government officials replied, but this showed that they had ignored the “transparency” clause in the 2013 RFCTLARR Act.
More importantly, while Rohmingliana bought eight plots of land (Village Council Passes) in Vaivakawn Zohnuai from seven residents of Lengpui in 2004. Village Council Pass lands in Mizoram are localised, customary land holdings within a village area, officially sanctioned by the Village Council for residential, agricultural, or other uses.
These passes serve as a recognised, albeit often temporary, form of land tenure in rural areas where official land records (patta) are not yet issued.
When the state government acquired the land for the IAF, the eight plots were still registered in the names of the original owners who, local media reports suggest, did not receive any money other than the meagre initial payments some 22 years ago.
The villagers allege that they did not sign any document related to compensation paid by the state government.
In 2005, Rohmingliana supposedly converted the VC Pass land parcels into Garden LSC (Land Settlement Certificates).
Mizoram media reports suggest that the original owners were unaware of this conversion even as their LSCs were issued in their names.
In Mizoram, Garden LSCs are official, permanent or semi-permanent land titles issued by the Land Revenue and Settlement Department for agricultural or horticultural purposes rather than residential use.
They grant recognised, legally documented ownership rights to individuals to cultivate specific plots of land.
The original landowners, Pu Biaklawma and Pu H L Samuela, told a local media platform that they sold the eight plots of land to Rohmingliana but they were not aware of the Garden LSC conversion.
All the deeds – on non-judicial paper – bear May 9, 2005, as the date on which the transaction took place.
Barring the deed related to Pu Thanzuala, these ‘documents’ neither bear any clear signature of a notary public nor the agreed sale price. Biaklawma and Samuela said they had not signed the sale deeds shown to them by a reporter.
While Thanzuala supposedly ‘received’ Rs 49.76 crore, another original landowner and Lengpui resident ‘received’ Rs 27.56 crore, as per RTI records accessed by the local media platform that originally published the story.
