Imphal, March 6, 2006: The team of MLAs which visited refugee camps at Sakordai in Mizoram and the Tipaimukh area of Manipur on behalf of the state government to study the plight of the refugees who fled their homes owing to harassment and atrocities by underground groups has returned to Imphal and submitted a report to the state chief minister.
The team, in this regard, has urged the state government to take urgent steps for the return of the refugees, including adequate resettlement programmes. They also called for a personal visit by the chief minister to the refugee camps at the earliest.
The MLA team was led by Dr. Chaltonlien Amo, deputy chairman of the State Planning Board, and included K Ranjit Singh, chairman, PDA, and Vivek Raj Wangkhem, chairman of the Assembly estimates committee. They were accompanied by the commissioner, relief, government of Manipur, during their visit on February 25 and 26.
According to a press release issued by the team members, there are at present 98 refugee families, totalling 520 persons currently staying at the Sakordai refugee camp. They expressed the immense hardships faced by them to the visitng team, the statement said, without going into details.
The MLA team, which extended financial assistance of Rs. 2 lakhs to the refugees, has appealed to them to return to their respective families, giving an assurance that the government of Manipur will post necessary security for their safety.
The team also had a meeting with the chief minister of Mizoram, Zoramthanga, at Aizawl, and he has assured that the government of Mizoram will continue to extend all possible assistance to the refugees as long as necessity arises.
During their meeting with the chief secretary of Mizoram and other high officials, discussions were held regarding relief matter and the expenditure incurred. The team also met with Col. PBS Lamba, CO of the Army unit now posted at Parbung.
The team, in their report submitted to the chief minister, has suggested that immediate steps should be taken for the return of the villages. The team also said adequate resettlement programmes including food for work programmes are required in order to convince the refugees to return.
It also sought early payment of ex-gratia for victims, including killed and injured, and early reimbursement of expenditure incurred by the government of Mizoram.
Source: The Imphal Free Press