Funds for Bru repatriation

Aizawl, September 20: The Ministry of Home Affairs, which has approved the Road Map-V for Bru Repatriation proposed to commence from November first week, will soon release funds for expenses of the process, Mizoram Home department’s Additional Secretary Lalbiakzama today said. Lalbiakzama told PTI that the state government prepared Road Map-IV for Bru Repatriation last year for which Rs 68 crore expenditure was projected. The state government incurred an expense of few crores of rupees as the actual repatriation, proposed to be undertaken between June 2 and September 4 last year, failed to be implemented as not a single Bru came forward to be identified as bona fide resident of Mizoram. Lalbiakzama said that the Ministry of Home Affairs had released around Rs 9 crore for last year’s process. The proposed repatriation process this year (Roadmap V) would begin by conducting identification of bona fide residents of Mizoram in the relief camps by officials from the first week of November. Lalbiakzama said a large number of Mizoram government officials would go to the relief camps in groups and conduct identification process in all the camps simultaneously to save time and ensure early commencement of the actual repatriation. Identification process would be conducted in Naisingpara, Asapara, Kaskau, Khakchangpara, Hamsapara and Hazacherra relief camps and those willing to return would be re-settled in 13 villages in Mizoram-Tripura-Bangladesh border Mamit district. Brus, who migrated en masse from Mizoram to Tripura after the murder of a forest guard inside Mizoram-Bangladesh-Tripura border Dampa Tiger Reserve on October 21, 1997 by Bru militants, have been lodged in the six relief camps in North Tripura district since then. While a number of families have returned, many of them chose to remain in the relief camps, making a series of demands as conditions for their return to Mizoram. (pti) Talks with HPC(D) likely to be postponed The second round of peace talks between the Mizoram government and Manipur-based Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic), initially slated to be held in Aizawl by mid-September, is likely to be postponed to the last week of the month or first week of October, a senior Home department official today said. The official said the delay was unavoidable and the date would soon be fixed after state Home Minister R Lalzirliana held consultations with Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla on the five-point demands of the HPC (D) delegation. The meeting of senior home department officials chaired by Lalzirliana today deliberated on the demands of the Hmar militant outfit and decided to consult the Chief Minister, the official said. Sources in the HPC (D) delegation said the main demand of the militant group was according higher autonomy and power to the Sinlung Hills Development Council (SHDC), constituted in accordance with the accord inked between the state government and the erstwhile underground HPC in 1994. The first round of negotiations was held in Aizawl on August 10 under cordial atmosphere and mutual trust on both sides, the top state official said. The SHDC was established in the areas where Hmar community were in majority. (IANS)