From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI: The Bru resettlement process under Thursday’s quadripartite agreement of the Union home ministry with the governments of Tripura, Mizoram and leaders of the Bru community will take about nine months from signing of the pact for completion.
The Tripura government will carry out a fresh survey through physical verification of Bru families currently residing in relief camps in the state by the end of this month to ascertain the number of families/persons to be rehabilitated in the state. Besides, identification of land for resettlement will be done within 60 days while allotment of land to the beneficiaries will be done within 150 days of inking of the agreement.
The Centre will constitute a joint-monitoring committee to oversee implementation of the agreement to permanently settle around 34,000 internally displaced people in Tripura.
The committee will be constituted with the special secretary (internal security), MHA, as chairman and the joint secretary (North East), MHA; additional chief secretary (forest), Tripura; principal secretary (revenue), Tripura; one representative of each of the Bru organisations party to the agreement besides one representative of The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) as members.
Home Minister Amit Shah had on Thursday presided over the signing of a quadripartite pact under which the Centre has sanctioned around Rs 600 crore as a package for internally displaced people in Tripura.
Under the quadripartite agreement inked on Thursday, Bru families presently residing in temporary relief camps in Tripura after November 30, 2019 and willing to settle in Tripura will be resettled and entitled to rehabilitation. Besides, financial aid and free ration distribution will be continued for six months from the date of agreement.
The Centre and the Tripura government will also ensure that the payment of first instalment of house-building assistance is made at the beginning of construction of the house, while movement to resettlement locations and closure of temporary camps will be done within 180 days of signing of the pact.
Finally, completion of construction of the dwelling houses and payment of all instalments of the house-building assistance will be done within 270 days.
However, the 328 families, which repatriated to Mizoram after a pact inked in July 2018, shall not be allowed to resettle in Tripura.
It may also be noted that the resettled Bru families will be entitled to the benefits of centrally sponsored schemes at par with other villagers. Accordingly, quota under various social welfare schemes for Tripura government will be enhanced.
The Centre will also establish Eklavya Tribal Residential Schools in the villages of resettlement as per existing norms besides favourably considering any request from the Tripura government regarding financial or other assistance related to the resettlement plan.