Didn't get assistance from Centre for relief to IDPs: Mizoram Home minister

Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana on Monday said the state government has not received any assistance from the Centre to provide relief to over 12,300 internally displaced people (IDPs) from violence-hit Manipur.

Mizoram government has sought Rs 10 crore from the Centre to provide assistance to people from the neighbouring state, who took shelter in Mizoram due to the ethnic violence in their state.

"It is very unfortunate that the Centre is unable to release Rs 10 crore as humanitarian assistance towards the IDPs from Manipur till today," Lalchamliana told PTI.

He said that Chief Minister Zoramthanga had written to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking relief to the tune of Rs.10 crore for the displaced people in May.

A state delegation led by Tourism Minister Robert Romawia Royte and other officials, including Home Commissioner and Secretary H Lalenmawia had also met Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on the issue last month, he said.

"Although the Union Home Secretary assured us of help during his meeting with Royte and other officials in Delhi, no help has reached us till today nor any word coming from the Centre since then," the Home minister said.

He said the Mizoram government was seeking humanitarian assistance for Indian citizens and not foreigners.

Lalchamliana, who also heads a high-level panel on IDPs, said that the state government has started raising public donations from ministers, legislators, employees of Central and state governments, state PSUs, commercial banks and corporators as the state's financial resources for providing relief and rehabilitation measures are not sufficient.

He also urged Delhi to immediately extend relief to the displaced people from Manipur.

According to the state Home department, a total of 12,344 people from Manipur are currently taking shelter in the state.

Northern Mizoram's Kolasib district hosts the highest number of IDPs at 4,383, followed by Aizawl district at 4,167 and Saitual district at 2,940, it said.

The government and village authorities have set up 37 relief camps in Aizawl, Kolasib and Saitual districts, the Home department said.

Of the 12,344 people, 2,884 live in relief camps, while the rest 9,460 live outside relief camps (in relative houses or rented houses), officials said.