Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed immense happiness over the successful rehabilitation of displaced Bru (Reang) tribal families during his visit to a settlement in Burha Para, Tripura.
Speaking to community members, Shah remarked, "I am more happy than you. Prime Minister Modi ji is also very happy that we could rehabilitate you after 40 years."
Shah acknowledged the central government’s collaborative efforts with the Tripura administration to provide the Bru community with permanent homes and a dignified life.
"We have made available 25 types of livelihood opportunities for you. These include animal husbandry, dairy, honeybee keeping, and millet farming," he told the settlers.
During the visit, Shah toured several homes and engaged with residents to understand their issues. Upon learning that some villagers were yet to receive Ayushman Bharat health cards, he assured them that the cards would be distributed within two days, instructing the district magistrate to expedite the process.
The Bru tribals were displaced from Mizoram’s Mamit, Lunglei, and Kolasib districts due to ethnic violence in 1997, 1998, and 2009. Before their rehabilitation, many lived in temporary shelters under dire conditions.
Uttam Kumar Reang, a local resident, recounted, "Earlier we were living in jhuggis, but now we have concrete houses. We now have Aadhaar and voter cards. We have cast our votes in the past."
The rehabilitation was formalised through a quadripartite agreement signed on 16 January 2020 between the governments of India, Tripura, and Mizoram, alongside Bru community representatives.
Resettlement efforts
A total of 6,935 families, comprising 37,584 individuals, are being resettled across 12 locations in Tripura’s North Tripura, Dhalai, Gomati, and South Tripura districts. Nine of these sites are on forest land, while three are on government land.
Under the agreement, 754 acres of land have been allocated for these families. Development works in 11 of the 12 identified locations are near completion, with efforts at the final resettlement site in Kala Lawgang expected to finish by the end of the fiscal year.
The comprehensive development package includes infrastructure such as power lines, solar streetlights, internal roads, tube wells for drinking water, fair price shops, anganwadi centres, schools, and health sub-centres.
An official noted that Rs 821.98 crore is being allocated for the resettlement programme, with Rs 793.65 crore funded by the Union home ministry and Rs 28.34 crore by the state government.
Of the total, Rs 693.13 crore has been released so far, with Rs 406.42 crore transferred directly to beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer.
Shah’s visit underscored the government’s commitment to ensuring the well-being of the Bru community.
"We have made significant progress in providing not just homes but a foundation for sustainable livelihoods," he said, expressing optimism for the future of the community.
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