The Mizoram government is making necessary arrangements for repatriation of Bru refugees lodged at six relief camps in Kanchanpur sub-division of North Tripura district by October this year, officials said here today.

A meeting with deputy commissioners of south Mizoram's Lunglei district, Mizoram-Tripura border Mamit district and Mizoram-Assam border Kolasib district would be convened soon to discuss the issue of resettlement of the Brus, state home department officials said.

"Updating the number of bona fide residents of Mizoram would be one of the first tasks before the government," the officials said adding that 12,538 people who were included in the voters' lists.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, when he visited Aizawl on May 25, had urged all Bru refugees to return before the end of October.

An amount of Rs 2.43 crore was allocated for the repatriation purpose by the union home ministry when the repatriation was proposed to commence from November 16 last year.

Once repatriated, the Bru refugees would be reimbursed their transport expenses and would be provided with free ration for one year, the officials said.

Each family would be given Rs 41,500 as rehabilitation and Rs 38,500 each for construction of houses, they added.

At least 1,299 people, including 490 children belonging to 263 families, who fled Mizoram in the wake of the murder of Zarzokima (17) of Mizoram-Tripura border Bungthuam hamlet by Bru militants on November 13 last year, have returned till May 26.

Reports from Mamit district said that few families were still returning in small groups even during this month.

Brus migrated to neighbouring Tripura en masse after a forest guard was gunned down by Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) militants in October 1997 inside Dampa Tiger Reserve.

The proposed repatriation of the refugees from November 16 last year was upset by another murder committed by Bru militants three days before the commencement of the repatriation and also resulted in more Bru families leaving the state due to communal tension triggered by the murder.