Aizawl, Sept. 30: After corrupt storekeepers and damaged weighbridges, the Mizoram Assembly was rocked today by, of all things, piglets.

Rural development minister Aichhinga admitted today that of the 1,500 piglets procured by his department, only eight are alive.

Responding to a question from Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) president Lalduhoma, Aichhinga admitted that the scheme under SGSY?s Integrated Piggery Development project had failed when all but eight of the piglets it had distributed to self-help groups (SHG) in Lunglei district died.

As asked by the Lunglei district rural development agency, the department had procured 1,500 piglets from a Shillong-based firm. While 261 of these piglets died in transit, 1,239 were distributed to SHGs.

All the piglets received by SHGs in Lunglei died. Only eight piglets given to SHGs in Hnahthial town are alive.

The government said the piglets, supplied at Rs 2,500 each, were of the Hampshire, Landrance and Yorkshire breed. Opposition members, however, alleged that the piglets were local wild boar.

Opposition leader Lalhmingthanga said these piglets had carried diseases into the state, which infected local pigs in Runtung village.

Lalhmingthanga said the SHGs of Runtung were reluctant to accept the piglets, but had been persuaded to do so by officials. Soon after, more than 70 local pigs were infected by a disease which, Lalhmingthanga suspected, the new piglets carried.

Aichhinga assured the House that the matter was being investigated and said the department would not abandon its piggery development project.

He said the department would consider local sources for the supply of piglets. Earlier, though, the minister had said that the state animal husbandry and veterinary department did not have enough piglets to meet the requirement.

Corruption charge: Congress legislator Lalrinliana Sailo today accused the Zoram Energy Development Agency (ZEDA), a state-run corporation, with embezzlement of funds.and of charging the rural people extra money.

Sailo, addressing the House, said ZEDA had established a bio-mass plant last year in Mamit through a bogus firm called Dong Dong Enterprise.

He said the 200 beneficiaries for Solar Photo Voltaic Systems (SPVS) of lighting systems, each costing Rs 13,100 were non-existent.

He also alleged that instead of floating a tender for the supply of SPVS home and lighting systems the order had been given directly to Swastik Enterprise, a Calcutta-based firm.

When contacted, ZEDA director P. Sarkar said the allegations surprised him as everything about the agency was above board. ?Nothing is correct about the allegations, there is no malpractice in our agency and everything is available in our registers,? Sarkar said.

Asserting the existence of Dong Dong Enterprise, he said it was located in the Thakthing locality of Aizawl.