Aizawl: The Mizoram government has distributed free rice to over 43,000 refugees from Myanmar, and Bangladesh, and internally displaced people (IDPs) from Manipur taking shelter in the state.
The district administration of Lawngtlai district, which shares a border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, distributed 2,526 quintals of rice to 8,020 refugees.
There are 5,922 Myanmar refugees from Chin state and 2,014 refugees from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts in the state, with Bangladesh refugees being hosted solely by the Lawngtlai district.
Lawngtlai deputy commissioner Cheemala Siva Gopal Reddy inaugurated the distribution of free rice to the refugees in the district on November 11 last year.
The district administration of Champhai, bordering Myanmar, which hosts the highest number of refugees, has distributed 4,533 quintals of rice to 14,390 refugees from Myanmar and IDPs from Manipur taking shelter in the district.
Champhai deputy commissioner VL Remliana said that the district currently hosts 13,986 refugees from Myanmar and 404 internally displaced people from Manipur.
In south Mizoram’s Siaha district, 1,875 quintals of rice were distributed to 5,953 Myanmar refugees.
According to the district deputy commissioner V.L. Hruaizela, the distribution of rice was inaugurated on November 20 and the district hosts only refugees from Myanmar.
Notably, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sanctioned Rs 5 crore to provide free rice to the refugees and internally displaced people from Manipur. 1,379 metric tons of rice was purchased from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution with the help of the fund.
According to data submitted to the MHA by the Mizoram government for the distribution of rice, there are 43,788 refugees and internally displaced people taking shelter in the state.
Of these, 33,764 are from Myanmar, 8,010 from Manipur and 2,014 from Bangladesh.
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Khawzawl district, which hosts the least number of refugees, also distributed 46 quintals of rice to 128 refugees from Myanmar and 19 internally displaced people from Manipur.
The Aizawl district administration has initiated the distribution process, which is yet to be completed.
