Confusion over number of BLFM surrenderee

Aizawl, Oct 24: Mizoram government is facing an uphill task to identify the exact number of Bru Liberation Front of Mizoram (BLFM) cadres, who were expected to surrender here on Friday.

BLFM, a spinster outfit of Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF), who did not come overground with BNLF during May 2005.

On one hand, the Centre has sanctioned and approved the rehablitation package for only 757 BLFM cadres, which was listed by the Assam Rifles authorities, on the other the list of surrenderees has increased more than 800.

According to the highly placed sources here, after the announcement of the Central packages to the BLFM cadres, there was sudden spurt in the cadre list.

As per the Centre package, it has been decided to give Rs. 40,000 to the surrendered militants as grant and they would be allowed to stay at government run camps in Damparengpui and Tuipuibari villages for a year.

Talking to UNI this evening, Superintendent of Police CID, Mizoram, Mr Lal Dhina admitted that it was still unclear about the number of surrenderee and said ''final head count would take place after the arrival of all the cadres from Tripura''.

He also maintained that Mizoram government would throughly verify the identity of the cadres before the surrender parade.

UNI