Imphal, Mar 4 (IANS): Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on Monday that out of the 6,746 illegal Myanmar immigrants detected in Manipur since the ongoing ethnic conflict unfolded in the state on May 3 last year, 259 were sent back to their country till February 27 after recording their biometrics details.

Answering queries put forth by the MLAs on the floor of the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the remaining 6,487 refugees, including women and children, who fled to Manipur after the Military junta seized power in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, are kept at temporary shelter homes.

Security measures have been taken to ensure that the immigrants don't get mixed with the local people, Singh told the House.

The Chief Minister also informed that 213 persons have died in the ongoing ethnic violence in the state, of which 198 have been identified as civilians, including 20 women and eight children.

An ex-gratia amount has been given to the next of kin of 114 deceased persons and the remaining are in the process, and will be distributed after verification, Singh said.

On the challenges being faced by the internally displaced persons (IDPs) owing to the ongoing conflict, Singh told the House that as many as 320 relief camps have been set up for them.

By May this year, the IDPs who are putting up in community halls would be shifted to proper places or the halls would be converted into proper staying areas by with partitions to maintain their privacy.

Due to security concerns, it may take some time for the IDPs to return to their respective places, but many have returned to their villages already to resume their normal lives, added Singh, who also holds the home portfolio.

Health cards such as under the Chief Minister-gi Hakshelgi Tengbang (CMHT) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (Pm-JAY) have been given to the IDPs, many of whom have benefited from these schemes, the CM said, adding that the state government is also working to make provisions for the illnesses that couldn’t be covered by these health cards.

Replying to the queries of Congress legislators Th Lokeshwar Singh and Keisham Meghachandra, the Chief Minister said that for the children affected by the ethnic crisis, government schools have been provided with free school uniforms and text books, while the fees have also been exempted.

Under the Labour Department, Rs 5,000 each was provided as assistance to every household which has been affected by the violence, Singh said.