The Mizoram government has issued an order that instructs Myanmar refugees in the state not to purchase land and run business without prior permission from the state government.

The order also said that Myanmar refugees should not run any business without the permission of the government and also not be involved in any illegal business.

The refugees should inform about their vehicles, which they have brought from their country, to the concerned local or village level committee on Myanmar refugees, it said.

Further, they should not enroll for Aadhaar, state voter list or obtain driving license, among others, the order said.

The government also instructed all local or village level committees to ensure that the order is strictly implemented and report to the chairman of the district task group on Myanmar refugees in case of violation of the order.

Home minister Lalchamliana had recently informed the state assembly that 30,401 Myanmar nationals have so far taken shelter in Mizoram since the military junta seized power in February last year.

The majority of refugees are lodged at makeshift camps set up by the government and village authorities, while some have taken houses on rent on their own and some others live with their local relatives.

About 156 relief camps have been set up in different parts of the state, according to officials.

The state government, NGOs, churches and village authorities are provided with food and other relief to the Myanmar nationals.

Apart from this, the government also set up a task group on Myanmar refugees with district level committees chaired by deputy commissioners and village or local level committees (under the chairmanship of village council president) to oversee the refugee issue.

The Mizoram government has been conducting profiling of Myanmar nationals taking shelter in the state since February this year in order to maintain a proper record of the refugees.

So far, 30,401 Myanmar nationals have been documented and 30,144 of them have been issued identity cards which is valid only in Mizoram.

The identity card, which certifies the holder as sheltering in Mizoram, is only for identification purposes to differentiate the holder from Indian citizens and is not valid for availing the government’s scheme, according to a state home department official.