Over 11,000 take shelter in Mizoram, State government seeks relief fund
The Mizoram government on Friday urged the Centre to expedite the release of funds to provide relief to over 11,000 displaced people from violence-hit Manipur, an official statement said.
The state government has sought ₹ 10 crore as immediate relief for those who are currently staying at shelters in different parts of Mizoram since ethnic clashes broke out in the neighbouring state on May 3.
During the day, state Tourism Minister Robert Romawia Royte called on Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Delhi and urged him to sanction the fund at the earliest, the statement said.
Bhalla, on his part, told Royte that the Centre will soon sanction the relief package, it said.
During the meeting, Royte said that more than 11,000 people from Manipur, mostly women, children and elderly persons, are currently staying at shelters in Mizoram due to the ethnic violence in the neighbouring state.
The Mizoram government, NGOs and churches are providing shelters and food to the displaced people, he said.
Stating that Mizoram is in “dire need of the Centre’s help”, Royte said that the state government could face a crisis if the proposed relief fund is not provided to the displaced people.
He also urged the Centre to take measures for the restoration of peace in Manipur.