Irked at the stubbornness of Bru refugees residing in six north Tripura camps over repatriation despite assurances of rehabilitation from the Mizoram Government, the Union Home Ministry has decided to go ahead with its earlier decision of stopping free ration among the refugees from October 1.
Also read: Return to Mizoram or no free ration, government warns Bru refugees
This has been decided upon by the Union Home Ministry as a pressure tactic to compel the refugees to return home on the agreed plan of rehabilitation.
All the inmates of the camps in Kanchanpur and Panisagar camps have been informed of the decision by the sub-divisional administration, officials said.
The move will surely have an impact on the inmates who are in for trouble.
Notably, though the return of the refugees has recently commenced following insistence from the Union Home Ministry, but the self-proclaimed leaders of Mizoram Bru Refugees Association have been dilly-dallying the process of repatriation.
During the past 21 years, many attempts made by the Union Home Ministry and the Mizoram Government had failed to break the deadlock because of unacceptable demands raised by the refugee leaders who have developed a vested interest in keeping the refugees stranded in Tripura.
But recently the senior officials of the Union Home Ministry acting tough on the issue has put heavy pressure on the refugee leaders and asked the inmates to return home and avail of the rehabilitation package.
However, the repatriation process began on a low key as the leaders created fresh hurdles.
The Union Home Ministry, finding no options left had warned the leaders as well as the refugees to return to Mizoram or else free ration would be stopped.
As per the threat, the Union Home Ministry has decided to stop ration from Monday.