Biometric enrolment of refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh taking shelter in Mizoram is nearing completion. State Home Department officials said that biometric registration of 29,047 Myanmar refugees out of 29,727, and 1,447 refugees from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts out of 1,487, has been completed. This accounts for more than 97 per cent coverage in both categories.
Officials said the enrolment process, which began in July last year, gathered pace in recent months after an initially slow start.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs will allocate five crore rupees this year for humanitarian assistance to over 31,300 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh, as well as more than 7,000 internally displaced persons from Manipur staying in Mizoram. The assistance will be provided through free distribution of rice.
District administrations have been directed to complete rice distribution by the 30th of this month.
