The Mizoram government was ready to take back Bru refugees from the six relief camps in North Tripura district before October this year as desired by Union home minister P Chidambaram.
"The ball is in the court of the refugees," chief secretary Van Hela Pachuau told PTI here today.
"The state government is ready and it is now the refugees who should be ready for the repatriation process," he said, adding that it was always the refugees who made excuses when the state government had prepared schedules for their repatriation earlier.
Pachuau said that the state government was making arrangements for the repatriation process, including identification of settlements for the refugees once they were repatriated.
The administration of Mamit district on the Mizoram-Tripura border decided to make final arrangements on August 30, for the re-settlement of the Brus in their villages before they fled Mizoram in 1997 and in 2009.
Hundreds of Brus left Mizoram in 1997 and 2009 after when Bru militants murdered two Mizos, a forest guard in October 21, 1997 and a 17-year-old boy near Bungthuam village on November 13, 2009.
Chidambaram, during his Aizawl visit on May 25 had urged Bru leaders to ensure that all the refugees returned to Mizoram latest by end of October.
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