The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which had stopped the supply of rations to six Bru refugee camps in North Tripura district three weeks ago apparently to put pressure for their repatriation to Mizoram, resumed it on Monday, officials said.
The supply was halted from October 1 as per the orders of the sub-divisional magistrates of Kanchanpur and Panisagar in the North district, Kanchanpur sub-divisional magistrate Abhedananda Baidya said.
It was resumed Monday following the MHA orders and will continue till January 15 next year, he said, quoting a communication from MHA Joint Secretary Satyendra Garg to Tripura Chief Secretary L K Gupta.
We were instructed by the MHA to resume ration supplies to the Bru internally displaced people's camps from Monday, the Kanchanpur SDM said.
At present there are more than 35,000 refugees lodged in six refugee camps.
Tripura Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath said at a programme at Naisinghpara refugee camp during the day that Bru refugees as citizens of India enjoy the fundamental right to food, clothes and residence.
"Everyone in Tripura has these rights and Bru displacement victims have also the same rights, he said.
Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb had taken up the issue with the MHA for resumption of supply to the camp dwellers and to ensure that not a single Bru refugee starves in relief camps in Tripura, he added.
Garg's letter, which was made available to press, said "...It was conveyed ... that assistance being extended to the Bru migrants in the form of food grains, cash doles will be available till 30th Sept, 2018."
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