Tripura CM presses on Reang refugee repartiation

Agartala, Oct 31 (PTI) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has said that social problems would arise unless the Reang refugees from neighbouring Mizoram were taken back."Nearly 35,000 to 40000 people are living in the space where 10,000 to 12,000 people stay.

It is bound to create social problems," chief minister said when replying to a private member''s resolution in the assembly yesterday.The private members resolution was moved by ruling CPI-M MLA - "The central government take initiative to repatriate the Reang refugees from Mizoram sheltered in Tripura with dignity".

Sarkar said, he had taken up the matter with the central government on several occasions but the problem was that Mizoram government did not agree to take back all the refugees.

The assembly unanimously took a resolution that the Centre takes ininitiative to repatriate them.

More than 35000 Reang/Bru refugees are sheltered in six evacuee camps in Kanchapur subdivision of North Tripura district bordering Mizoram.They entered Tripura following ethnic clashes with the Mizos since 1997.