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President Ram Nath Kovind will dedicate houses built for Rohingya refugees

President Ram Nath Kovind will dedicate the first 50 housing units built for displaced Rohingya people during the course of his three-day state visit to Myanmar from December 11, a senior official said on Thursday.

Briefing the media here, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said that India signed a development programme for Rakhine State in Myanmar late last year which was designed to assist the Myanmar government in Rakhine State to build housing infrastructure for return of displaced persons.

“Two hundred and fifty units were planned for the first phase and by virtual means, President of India will be dedicating the first 50 units to the Myanmar side,” Gokhale said.

“It is something that has been appreciated not just by the government of Myanmar but also by the UN and other agencies.”

Over 730,000 Rohingyas, who are not recognised as citizens by Myanmar, have sought refuge in Bangladesh since August 2017, following a military campaign against the minority community in western Rakhine state.

Giving details of the President’s programme, Gokhale said that after reaching Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw late on December 10 evening, Kovind will be accorded a ceremonial welcome on December 11 which will be followed by delegation-level talks with Myanmar President U Win Myint, a meeting with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and signing of agreements.

On December 12, Kovind will visit the Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research and Education (ACARE) and the Rice Biopark.

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