Over 37,000 refugees have been lodged in six camps of Tripura since ethnic feud between the Mizos and the Reangs in Mizoram in 1997.
Sources in Mizoram government’s home department today said a team of officials had reached the Bru camps in Kanchanpur subdivision of North Tripura to prepare for the return of about 450 Bru families in the third phase of the repatriation. The officials will check the bona fides of the refugees.
Mizoram home secretary Lalmalswama said a congenial atmosphere was in place for the process.
The Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum, which had stalled the repatriation process in November on the plea that security and resettlement should be properly examined by the Centre and the state administration, has now pledged not to offer any resistance.
The sources in the home department said the government had identified a few possible sites in Mamit district on the Mizoram-Tripura border to resettle the refugees.
The sites include Kolailan, Sihthiang, Chuhvel, Saikhawthlir, Tumpanglui, Rengdil and Rriphaw. Police camps have been set up at some of these hamlets to provide security in the initial phase of repatriation.
Around 150 Bru families had been resettled in Mizoram during the earlier two phases of the repatriation.
The Union home ministry has pledged to dole out rehabilitation grants of Rs 90,000 and a full year’s free food ration for the refugees who choose to come back to the state.