Rice Shortage in Mizoram

Aizawl, Nov 26 : Shortage of rice, the staple food of Mizos, has affected the common people of Mizoram and also hampered the process of repatriation of Bru refugees from six relief camps in neighbouring Tripura.

General Secretary of the Bru Coordination Committee (BCC) Elvis Chorkhy today said the state officials found it difficult to provide free ration to the repatriated refugees due to shortage in rice stock in government godowns.

“We were told by the officials that the repatriation process would not be resumed now due to shortage of rice,” Chorkhy said, adding that they apprehended that if the repatriation resumed now, they would face scarcity of food.

Since the first phase of repatriation began on November three, 101 Bru families have returned to Mizoram and were re-settled in Mamit district, on Mizoram-Tripura border.

They were provided with free ration of around 600 grams a day for each adult and 300 grams for each minor.

Scarcity of rice also plagued the whole state, which was attributed to transportation problems faced in Assam and Mizoram by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department.

“Though the situation is not that alarming to the extent of facing famine, we have to distribute whatever stock we have,” one official said.