Bru leader and spokesman Bruno Masho on Thursday expressed his satisfaction over the beginning of the Bru settlement process in the state and said that some urgent issues were required to be given attention immediately.
According to Bru leader and spokesman Bruno Masho, in the first phase of the resettlement process, about 1,600 families are going to be given settlement in Tripura’s Dhalai and North Tripura district.
“So far the details we know about 1,600 families are going to be given settlement in four select places under Ambassa, Longthorai valley and Panisagar subdivisions. In all the cases, the families are supposed to get all the benefits that the government of India has assured as per the quadripartite pact and subsequently announced Rs 600 crore package”, Masho said over phone.
According to him, although identification of all the families was done, there are certain lapses remaining. In the meantime, many people got married, widowed, divorced and all. Due to this, the family set up had changed a bit but the new inclusions or deletions were not being approved yet by the administration, Masho said. “After being widowed or divorced, the victim becomes herself a nuclear family. She deserves to be considered as family but now the process of inclusion becomes tough when the process is almost ending”, he pointed out.
He also said that in certain patches there was a stark difference between the location that was first inspected and where the settlement was actually given.
“In some areas, settlement has not been given exactly at the place where it is unanimously agreed. In addition, some difficulties are also there in staying at the proposed house. Certain stretches of the identified areas are on steep slopes. The proposed cement floored and corrugated sheet roofed houses are not possible to be built in these locations. We are demanding the government to allow us to erect bamboo made Tong huts for us”, said Masho.
He had also complained that the houses were being built in such a way that there was no space in between two houses.
As a part of the resettlement process, altogether 426 families have been shifted to various parts of the Dhalai district. The families had been distributed into small clusters so that they could stay in their comfort zone.
Speaking on the issue, SDM Longtharai valley subdivision A Bardhan said, “we are planning to give settlement to the displaced families in such a way that they don’t feel any sort of discomfort. For example, at Labancherra gram panchayat under the Longtharai valley sub-division, not less than 300 families have been shifted to their permanent homes. The area has started to look different after the arrival of the Brus”.
Meanwhile, Speaking about the developments, DM Dhalai Govekar Mayur Ratilal said, “At the first phase they are provided with housing and other basic amenities. Electricity and other works would follow it”
All the families who are being shifted to their permanent huts are being also subjected Covid 19 tests in order to contain the spread of Covid 19 in the areas where they are moved. (Courtesy: Tripura Times)
