Mizo officials on Bru voters' list revision duty stranded

AIZAWL: The Mizoram officials assigned to conduct special summary revision of voters list in Bru relief camps in Tripura, have been stranded in Mizoram-Tripura border district Mamit for four days as civil society activists blocked roads to prevent them from leaving for Tripura.

The election officials from Mamit, Kolasib and Lunglei were supposed to revise electoral rolls in the six camps in Tripura, but have been stranded at Mamit deputy commissioner's office premises since Sunday.

Mamit Deputy Commissioner Lalbiaksangi told PTI over phone that she had apprised the situation to the state election department.

"I sought the permission to release the officials as there would be no time for them to complete conducting revision of electoral rolls in the camps. But the state election department has been waiting for instructions from the Election Commission of India (ECI)," Lalbiaksangi said.

She said that there was very little time now for hearing of claims and enrollment of new voters who have attained 18 years of age on January one, 2016, in the camps as verification of bona fide residents of Mizoram alone would also take time.

State joint chief electoral officer F J Liantluanga said the situation has been informed to ECI which said it would give instructions after Diwali.

The NGO Coordination Committee comprising five major civil societies has opposed the ECI's move to conduct revision of voters' lists in the Bru relief camps.

It said the Brus in the relief camps refused to return to Mizoram despite repeated appeals by civil societies and the government.

It also demanded that those who refused to return to Mizoram should settle permanently in Tripura and their names be deleted from Mizoram's voters lists.

Hundreds of volunteers have blocked the roads in and around the Mamit DC's office since Sunday night to ensure that the officials could not leave the office premises.