The Centre has agreed to provide rice worth Rs 10 crore to support nearly 40,000 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh, as well as people displaced by ethnic violence in Manipur who are currently taking shelter in Mizoram.

The assurance was given by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a meeting with Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma in New Delhi on Friday, according to an official statement issued on Saturday, June 13.

During the meeting, Lalduhoma highlighted the humanitarian challenges faced by the State in accommodating refugees and internally displaced persons and sought assistance from the Centre.

He informed the Union Home Minister that Mizoram is currently sheltering nearly 40,000 people, including refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh and displaced persons from Manipur, and said the State government has been making sustained efforts to provide humanitarian support despite limited resources.

Responding to the request, Shah assured the Chief Minister that the Centre would provide rice worth Rs 10 crore to help meet the food requirements of those taking refuge in the State.

According to official figures, more than 28,000 Myanmar nationals, mostly from Chin State, have taken shelter in Mizoram since the military coup in February 2021. The State is also hosting around 2,300 members of the Bawm community from Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts, who crossed into India following military operations in the region in 2022.

In addition, nearly 7,000 Kuki people displaced by the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023 are currently residing in Mizoram.

The Chin, Bawm and Kuki communities share close ethnic and cultural ties with the Mizo people.

The meeting also reviewed a range of development and security-related issues concerning Mizoram. Lalduhoma urged the Centre to extend financial assistance under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme to strengthen the State's efforts to combat drug trafficking and cybercrime.

The Chief Minister pointed out that Mizoram has not been receiving support under the scheme, unlike several other northeastern States, largely because of its relatively peaceful security situation.

According to the statement, Shah advised the Mizoram government to submit additional proposals under the Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North Eastern Region (PM-DeVINE) scheme and assured support for pursuing the projects.