Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb in a letter stated that Tripura could accommodate up to 500 families if adequate funds were sanctioned for the cause by Government of India (GoI), reports Eastern Mirror on November 23. In a letter to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Biplab Deb said the final repatriation process was scheduled to end on November 30, as per the agreement signed between the Centre, governments of Mizoram and Tripura, and the representatives of Bru migrants, but only 144 of 4,447 families have returned to their home state so far.Several Bru families have refused to return to Mizoram, citing security concerns and inadequate rehabilitation package. Some have also sought a separate autonomous council for the community.So far, only 144 families (699 persons) have shifted to Mizoram in the current phase of repatriation.The Centre has approved INR 3500 million, covering transportation and rehabilitation expenses, for the ninth and the final repatriation process, which began on October 3.
Separately, Indian Express reports on November 22 that a senior official of Mizoram Home Department stated that “The roadmap for repatriation submitted to the Supreme Court was very clear that Bru migrants would be resettled back in their own villages or villages under nearest police stations. I don’t feel there is any question of changing this roadmap, which was agreed upon by the Supreme Court of India and the Government of India. There is no question of settling them in Dampa Tiger Reserve.” Earlier, Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum (MBDPF) general secretary Bruno Msha had stated that they have scaled down their demands like a Bru Autonomous District Council (ADC), cluster villages, rearrangement of resettlement locations, etc. to just two points. These are resettlement of migrant Brus at Dampa Tiger Reserve and a post-repatriation development package under the Ministry of DoNER, Ministry of Tribal Welfare and Ministry of Minority Welfare.