MHA to release funds for Bru repatriation process

Aizawl, Sep 20 (PTI) The Ministry of Home Affairs,which has approved the Road Map-V for Bru Repatriationproposed to commence from November first week, will soonrelease funds for expenses of the process, Mizoram Homedepartment’s Additional Secretary Lalbiakzama today said. Lalbiakzama told PTI that the state governmentprepared Road Map-IV for Bru Repatriation last year for whichRs 68 crore expenditure was projected. The state government incurred an expense of few croresof rupees as the actual repatriation, proposed to beundertaken between June 2 and September 4 last year, failed tobe implemented as not a single Bru came forward to beidentified as bona fide resident of Mizoram. Lalbiakzama said that the Ministry of Home Affairs hadreleased around Rs 9 crore for last year’s process. The proposed repatriation process this year (RoadmapV) would begin by conducting identification of bona fideresidents of Mizoram in the relief camps by officials from thefirst week of November. Lalbiakzama said a large number of Mizoram governmentofficials would go to the relief camps in groups and conductidentification process in all the camps simultaneously to savetime and ensure early commencement of the actual repatriation. Identification process would be conducted inNaisingpara, Asapara, Kaskau, Khakchangpara, Hamsapara andHazacherra relief camps and those willing to return would bere-settled in 13 villages in Mizoram-Tripura-Bangladesh borderMamit district. Brus, who migrated en masse from Mizoram to Tripuraafter the murder of a forest guard insideMizoram-Bangladesh-Tripura border Dampa Tiger Reserve onOctober 21, 1997 by Bru militants, have been lodged in the sixrelief camps in North Tripura district since then. While a number of families have returned, many of themchose to remain in the relief camps, making a series ofdemands as conditions for their return to Mizoram. PTI HCV SUSBSAPS