Everyone entitled to benefits, says Mizoram govt

Aizawl: Mizoram chief secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo said on Saturday that all the people of the state are entitled to benefits and the government is working to provide assistance to those stranded in other parts of the country irrespective of their caste, tribe or religion. The top official’s comments come amid allegations that many people from the minority communities in the state such as the Chakmas stranded in other parts of the country were not receiving help from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund (CMRF). We have requested all residents of the state irrespective of caste, tribe and religion to report to the deputy resident commissioners (DRCs) of Mizoram Houses in the states where they are stranded,” Chuaungo told reporters after a cabinet meeting. Reliefs to the stranded people are being provided through the resident commissioners and Mizo Welfare Associations in different parts of the country, he said. All the residents of the Mizoram stranded in other parts of the country are entitled to benefits being provided by the state government, Chuaungo said. The state government is also willing to provide assistance to Chakma NGOs that are guarding the inter-state and international borders, he added. The Mizoram Chakma Alliance Against Discrimination (MCAAD) had alleged that while the state government allocated Rs 2.34 crore from the CMRF to various Mizo NGOs across the country to help those stranded from the state, no Chakma NGO was given any assistance. (PTI)