AIZAWL, Jan 11 � A number of officials left Mizoram-Tripura border Mamit town yesterday to conduct identification of bonafide residents of Mizoram amongst the Bru refugees lodged in six relief camps in North Tripura district and the identified refugees would be taken back Wednesday onwards, officials said.
The officials said that around 450 families would be repatriated when the process resumed on Wednesday and elaborate arrangements including security arrangements were made to undertake the repatriation process.
Around 100 families have been repatriated during the first and second phase of repatriation which began from November 3 last and almost 200 families have returned on their own, during the past two weeks, they said.
Leaders of the anti-repatriation groups amongst the refugees, including the Mizoram Bru Displaced People�s Forum (MBDPF) said that they might not create obstruction during the third phase of the repatriation but would continue democratic agitation to press for their demands.
The MBDPF had been demanding that agreement should be made involving the Centre, State Governments of Tripura and Mizoram and the Bru bodies and that a special project for rehabilitation should be formulated.
Meanwhile, joint meeting of the NGOs and village council leaders of the Hachhek Assembly constituency in Mamit district on Saturday last urged the State Government to expedite verification of the refugees who returned on their own and to stop the refugees from returning to Mizoram on their own without conducting identification of bonafide residents of the State. � PTI
