30,000 Bru Refugees to be Settled in Tripura, Centre Announces Rs 600 Cr Package

New Delhi, January 16, 2019:

An agreement has been signed between the Centre and various stakeholders, as per the provisions of which, at least 34,000 Bru refugees will be settled in Tripura at the cost of Rs 600 crores, to be incurred by the Centre.

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The agreement was signed between Bru representatives, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the Governments of Mizoram and Tripura. Moreover, the Bru families are to be given Rs 4 lakh, free ration for 2 years, and a monthly stipend of Rs 5000. Moreover, free schooling shall also be provided for the Bru children in cluster villages.

However, the demand of a separate autonomous council for the Bru refugees is unlikely to be granted, said reports. Bengalis who lost land due to Bru refugee camps will also be given adequate compensation as per the newly-signed Accord.

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Shah, Tripura CM Biplab Kr. Deb, Mizoram CM Zoramthanga, royal Pradyot Manikya, and members from Bru NGOs Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples’ Forum (MBDPF), Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples’ Coordination Committee (MBDPCC), Mizoram Bru Indigenous Democratic Movement (MBIDM), Bru Tribal Development Society (BTDS), and Bru Displaced Welfare Organisation (BDWO) are the signatories of the agreement.

The announcement is likely to mark the end of the conflict of the Brus, who had settled in Tripura after several fled ethnic cleansing in Mizoram in 1997 after a conflict with the Mizos.

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