Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Agartala. | Photo Credit: ANI
“Over 37,500 Bru tribals affected by communal violence in Mizoram between 1990s and 2009 have been rehabilitated in Tripura at a cost of Rs 821 crore provided by the Union Home Ministry,” officials said in Ambasa, Tripura. Union Home Minister Amit Shah met some of these refugees in Tripura on Sunday (December 22, 2024).
“On January 16, 2020, a quadrilateral agreement was signed between the Governments of India, Tripura, Mizoram and representatives of Bru organizations for the permanent resettlement of Bru migrants in Tripura,” officials said.
Who are the Bruces, and what is the effect of their settlement in Tripura?
About 70% of the Bru (Reang) tribe are Hindus while the rest are Christians. Bru migrants from three districts of Mizoram – Mamit, Lunglei and Kolasib districts – migrated to North Tripura district in 1997, 1998 and 2009 due to severe communal violence between the Bru and Mizo communities in Mizoram.
A total of 12 sites have been identified for setting up resettlement colonies for Bru tribals in Tripura out of which nine sites are on forest land and three sites are on government land. These 12-selected locations are in four districts of North Tripura, Dhalai, Gomti and South Tripura. “A total of 754 acres of land has been provided for the rehabilitation of these families. Settlement work is underway at these 12 identified locations,” officials said.
“The final figure of families for resettlement under the agreement is 6,935 out of a population of 37,584,” officials said.
Common development works include laying electricity lines, brick sealing internal roads, connecting deep tube wells to provide drinking water, building electricity infrastructure, connecting houses, installing solar street lights, opening new affordable shops, Anganwadi centers, and schools. And health sub-centres are almost completed at 11 locations.
While the 11 colonies are fully operational, common development works of the latest sanctioned resettlement colony – Kala Lagang in South Tripura district – are underway and are likely to be completed by the end of this financial year.
A total of ₹ 821.98 crore is being spent to resettle these families in 12 colonies, another official said. Out of which Rs 793.65 crore is being borne by the Union Home Ministry and Rs 28.34 crore by the state government for common development work.
So far, the Ministry of Home Affairs has released ₹ 693.13 crore of which ₹ 406.42 crore has been given to direct beneficiaries under Direct Benefit Transfer. This agreement provides a comprehensive development package for every family resettled in Tripura.
As per the resettlement package, a one-time financial assistance of Rs 4,00,000 per family is given as fixed deposit for two years. A grant of Rs 1,50,000 per family is given in three equal installments of one piece of land in a cluster measuring 30×40 feet for house and house construction.
A cash assistance of Rs 5,000 per month per family is also given for two years from the date of shifting to the new location.
Free transport from the current temporary camp to the resettlement site in Tripura along with free ration to each family for two years from the date of resettlement in Tripura as per existing rules is also a part of the package.
“All cash assistance is provided through Direct Beneficiary Transfer (DBT) scheme,” officials said. Through several efforts, 1,244 families including 6,367 individuals were returned to Mizoram in eight phases.
However, the remaining 6,935 families comprising 37,584 persons have not shifted to Mizoram and are staying in seven relief camps in North Tripura district.
published – December 22, 2024 at 01:14 pm IST