"There are some 4,500 refugees in relief camps in Assam's Goalpara district, and around 1500 in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills district. Scores of people are returning to their villages in batches," East Garo Hills deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi told PTI today.
The district administration of East Garo Hills yesterday had organised a massive peace meeting in Resubelpara where hundreds of people from both Garo and Rabha communities participated besides administration officials of Assam.
Meghalaya Community and Rural Development Minister F W Momin urged the refugees to return to the villages citing that peace had returned.
Assuring assistance to the displaced who were reluctant to return, Momin made an appeal to them to get rid of their fears and return back to claim the relief and compensation package that was offered by the administration.
He also urged people not to listen to rumours and to play a constructive role in peace and development.
The Deputy Commissioner East Garo Hills implored the people not to pay heed to the circulation of rumours and observed that random and stray incidents should be ignored and not given importance as there was peace, by and large.
Many NGOs volunteers were present in the meeting and assured to take up relief and rehabilitation programmes for the affected families.
Twelve people were killed, thousands of houses torched and some 50,000 displaced in the riots in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills and neighbouring Assam''s Goalpara district between January 1 and 9.