The breakthrough in the 25-year long impasse over Bru refugees could be possible due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said on Friday.

“The Bru families were uprooted from Mizoram and languishing in six camps of Panaisagar and Kanchanpur in undivided North Tripura district since 1997. They remained refugees for 22 years as no government took the initiative to address their problems,” Deb claimed.

He was talking to reporters during a visit to Khamtaipara resettlement village under Damcherra RD Block.

As per an agreement signed by officials in January 2020 in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, 37,136 Brus of 6,959 families, who were displaced from neighbouring Mizoram following ethnic clashes, are eligible to get resettled in 12 designated locations in Tripura.

“It was PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who took steps to solve the vexed problem through the historic agreement. The full credit goes to them for putting an end to the uncertain life of the Bru refugees,” Deb said.

Read more: Tripura appeals to Bru refugees to enrol names in voters list by Dec 8

Over 4,100 Bru refugees resettled in Tripura: Official

The state election commission has also set a target of inclusion of 20,000 names of 6,300 Bru families in the photo electoral rolls of Tripura by 8 December.

Assembly elections in the state are due early next year.