Mizoram making process for early resumption of repatriation

AIZAWL: Mizoram government was making arrangements for the early resumption of the process of self-repatriation of Bru refugees from the six relief camps in North Tripura's Kanchanpur Sub-Division, joint secretary in the Mizoram Home department, Lalbiakzama said.

After returning from Tripura where a team of officials both from Mizoram and Tripura visited the relief camps on Thursday and Friday last, Lalbiakzama told PTI that they organised meetings in all the camps and apprised the refugees of the government's plans for self-repatriation.

"Some of the refugee leaders asked for increase of rehabilitation and resettlement package from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh and also extension of the provision of free ration from one year to two years," he said, adding that the refugees were informed by the officials that the package and the duration of providing free ration were decided by the Union Home Ministry, not by the state governments of Mizoram and Tripura.

The officials told the refugees that it would no longer be the responsibility of the Mizoram government if they refuse to return to Mizoram and the free ration would be discontinued after September this year.

Lalbiakzama said that the Home department sought allocation of rice for distribution from the state food, civil supplies and consumer affairs as a free ration to the refugees once they voluntarily return to Mizoram.