Bru refugees to return home by Sept 30

After 22 long years, a tripartite agreement on repatriation of Reang refugees sheltered in six relief camps in North and Unakoti district was inked by Chief Secretaries of Tripura and Mizoram in presence of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi today, official sources confirmed. As per the agreement, the displaced the Bru refugees would be repatriated to Mizoram before September 30, 2018 and all temporary camps in North and Unakoti districts would be closed in the first week of October, 2018. The MHA would also endeavour to address some other suggestions made by the displaced Brus. A monitoring Committee under Special Secretary (IS) MHA with representatives of Government of Mizoram and Tripura and representatives Bru peoples has been constituted to coordinate implementation of the agreement in true spirit, according to an official communiqué from the state government. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb profusely thanked Union Home Minister for his initiative in making this significant achievement possible.

The main elements of the rehabilitation package in the repatriation would be as follows: 1. Each family will be given on time Financial Assistance for Rehabilitation of Rupees 4 Lakh (Rupees Fourt Lakh only) to be kept in Fixed Deposit in the name of the head of the family within one month of its repatriation. The money will remain in Fixed Deposit for Two years and the money will be given to the family on its having lived continuously in Mizoram for three years. 2.Each family will be given Rupees 5,000/- (Rupees Five Thousand only) per month as Cash Assistance for a period of Two years from the date of repatriation. 3.The cash assistance will be provided through DBT. 4.Each family will be given Rupees One Lakh and Fifty Thousand for House Building Assistance. This will be disbursed in three instalments. Rs. 25,000 at the time of repatriation, Rs. 50,000 on completion of 50% of House Construction and the remaining Rs. 75,000 on the completion of House. 5. Each person repatriating will be given Free Ration for two years at the present rate applicable. 6. Each family will get Free Transportation to be arranged by Government of Mizoram. The agreed cost of transportation will be reimbursed to Mizoram government by MHA.