AIZAWL: The Centre has promised to give assistance to the Mizoram government to provide relief to refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh and internally displaced people from Manipur, who are taking shelter in the northeastern state, an official statement said.
During a meeting with chief minister Lalduhoma in Delhi on Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured that the Centre would provide relief to the refugees taking shelter in Mizoram, it said.
According to the state home department, a total of 33,835 Myanmar nationals, including 12,901 children, are currently taking shelter in different parts of Mizoram with Champhai district hosting the highest number of Myanmar refugees at 14,212.
10,552 people live in 111 relief camps spread across six districts and the rest live outside relief camps by joining relatives or friends as well as staying in rented houses, it said.
More than 1,800 Bangladeshi nationals are also taking shelter in southernmost Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, it said.
Besides, 1,872 internally displaced people from Manipur are also currently taking shelter in Mizoram, the home department said.
Lalduhoma also presented a memorandum to Shah detailing the extensive damage caused by Cyclone Remal in Mizoram.
The memorandum sought urgent central assistance to address the aftermath of the cyclone, including compensatory funds for relief and rehabilitation.
In response, Shah told the visiting chief minister that the Centre will send a team to inspect and assess the damage caused by recent cyclone Remal in Mizoram.
He also assured to provide necessary compensatory funds when the Centre team submit its report.
Recently, 30 people died and several houses damaged due to landslides triggered by heavy rain as a fallout of cyclone Remal in Mizoram capital Aizawl region and other parts of the state in May.
Officials said that four people are still missing.
Both the leaders also discussed a wide range of issues, including shifting of Assam Rifles base from the heart of Aizawl to the designated headquarters at Zokhawsang about 15 km from the state capital.