AIZAWL: The Mizoram government has set up a high-level committee headed by Home Minister Lalchamliana to deal with internally displaced people from violence-hit Manipur, a home department official said on Monday.
A total of 9,501 people from Manipur have entered Mizoram and taken shelter in different parts of the state, according to the Home department.
The official said that a ‘high level committee on internally displaced Persons (IDPs) of Manipur in Mizoram’ was formed on Sunday on the instruction of Chief Minister Zoramthanga.
The committee headed by Lalchamliana will deal with issues related to the internally displaced people from Manipur, he said.
Education minister Lalchhandam Ralte has been appointed as the vice chairman of the committee, while home commissioner and secretary H Lalengmawia is the member secretary, he said.
The committee will also involve Information and Public Relation minister Lalruatkima, supply minister K Lalrinliana, tourism minister Robert Romawia Royte, officials of various department and representatives of Central Young Mizo Association (YMA), Mizoram Journalists’ Association (MJA) and Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC), a church leaders’ committee, as members, he said.
Earlier, the state government had formed an executive committee headed by the home secretary to deal with the internally displaced people.
Meanwhile, Lalchamliana informed the meeting of the high level committee on Monday that the northeastern state is currently providing shelter to over 50,000 people from neighbouring Manipur, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The meeting agreed to maintain proper profiling of internally displaced people from the neighbouring state.
It also decided to conduct regular health examination of the displaced people and also take measure to ensure that the displaced undergraduate students continue their studies in Mizoram.
The state government had last month instructed district education officials to allow the displaced children enroll in state-run schools.
At least 3 people, including a minor and an infant, from Manipur taking shelter in the state, have died so far due to certain illnesses.
Besides, two persons were also killed in a road accident near Saitual town while fleeing to Mizoram from their native town Churachandpur.
According to the home department, altogether 9,501 people from strife-torn Manipur have taken shelter in 10 districts of Mizoram.
Assam border Kolasib district is currently hosting the highest number of displaced people at 3,481, followed by Aizawl district (3,157) and Saitual district (2,389).
The remaining 474 took shelter in Champhai, Khawzawl, Serchhip, Mamit, Lunglei, Hnahthial and Siaha districts, the department said.