Aizawl: The Mizoram government has completed the distribution of free rice to refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh, and internally displaced people from Manipur taking shelter in the state barring Aizawl district, officials said.
The district administration of east Mizoram’s Champhai district bordering Myanmar, which hosted the highest number of refugees, has distributed 4,533 quintals of rice to 14,390 refugees taking shelter in the border district.
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Champhai deputy commissioner VL Remliana said that the district currently hosts 13,986 refugees from Myanmar and 404 internally displaced people from Manipur.
The district administration of Lawngtlai district, which shares a border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, also completed the distribution of free rice to 8,020 refugees taking shelter in the southern district, officials said.
2,526 quintals of rice was distributed to 5,922 Myanmar refugees and 2,014 refugees from Bangladesh, they said.
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Lawngtlai deputy commissioner Cheemala Siva Gopal Reddy inaugurated the distribution of free rice to the refugees on November 11 last year.
In south Mizoram’s Siaha district, 1,875 quintals of rice was distributed to 5,953 Myanmar refugees.
According to the district deputy commissioner V.L. Hruaizela, the distribution of rice was inaugurated on November 20 and the district hosts only refugees from Myanmar.
Khawzawl district, which hosted the least number of refugees, also distributed 46 quintals of rice to 128 refugees from Myanmar and 19 internally displaced people from Manipur, who took refuge in the district.
Aizawl district administration has started the distribution recently and is yet to be completed.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sanctioned Rs. 5 crore to provide free rice to the refugees and internally displaced people from Manipur.
1,379 metric tons of rice was purchased from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution with the help of the fund.
According to data submitted to the MHA by the Mizoram government for the distribution of rice, there are 43,788 refugees and internally displaced people taking shelter in the state.
Of these, 33,764 are from Myanmar, 8,010 from Manipur and 2,014 from Bangladesh.
Each refugee was given 31.5 kg of rice.