By Firstdespatch Desk Apr 27, 2023
Agartala, Apr 27 (FD) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit two Bru rehabilitation areas in Karbook and Amarpur subdivisions of Gomti district on May 8 to make a study on the ground, officials said today.
A slightly more than 37000 Brus were internally displaced from Mamit and Kolashib districts of Mizoram in phased manner since 1997 following ethnic conflicts with the Mizos over the occupation of lands and took shelter in North Tripura district.
A historic quadripartite pact was signed in January 2020, by the Union government, the governments of Tripura and Mizoram and the Bru migrants to end the 23 years long impasse.
A Rs 600 crore package was sanctioned for them to guarantee monthly ration, pension for a certain period of time and a range of issues pertaining to the life and livelihood of the new Tripura citizens.
The District Magistrate of Gomati, G M Ratilal told reporters that the district administration was geared up to make Home Minister’s visit to two Bru rehabilitation areas in Karbook and Amarpur subdivisions of Gomti district on May 8.
“The Brus were rehabilitated in 12 locations in different parts of the state. Shah is expected to visit areas in Karbook and Amarpur subdivisions of Gomti district on May 8. We are fully prepared to make the visit successful”, he told reporters.
Altogether 439 Bru families were resettled in Amarpur, and 264 families were rehabilitated in Silacherri in Karbook.
Two health sub-centers were opened in the areas by Health Secretary Debasish Basu on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Manik Saha met Shah in Delhi on Wednesday and discussed the Bru rehabilitation issue.
Saha is expected to accompany Shah in his tour to the district, officials said.
The project was supposed to be completed by the end of 2022 but opposition from the local communities, violent anti-Bru protests and the pandemic slowed the process of implementation.
More than 5,000 Bru migrants have been issued the Electronic Photo Identity Card, an election commission recognised document for voting before the last assembly elections held in February last. FD JK