IDPs slam resettlement plan, ₹75K aid
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 13 2025: Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Kangchup areas in Imphal West district strongly opposed the state government's resettlement plan, while calling the proposed aid of Rs 75,000 per family grossly insufficient and unacceptable.

The displaced villagers, who have been living away from their homes for more than two years since fleeing during the ethnic violence in 2023, visited their abandoned houses recently under security escort.

After assessing the extent of damage, many expressed dismay over the government's offer and said the amount would not even cover basic repair work.

Most of the houses are in a state beyond repair, and expecting us to rebuild and return with just Rs 75,000 is not only unreasonable but an insult to our suffering, said one IDP, who had returned to inspect the ruins of his home.

The condemnation stemmed from a government notification issued on June 5 this year, which instructed IDPs from Kangchup Kharang and nearby areas to return home by July 15.The order offered a one-time financial aid of Rs 75,000 per family for resettlement, along with Rs 3 lakh for house reconstruction.

The move was part of the government's three-phase plan to close all relief camps housing displaced persons by December 2025.The first phase, scheduled to begin this month, includes the return of IDPs whose houses were not completely destroyed.

Kangchup Kharang, a Meetei village on the fringe of Imphal West district bordering the Ku-ki-majority Kangpokpi district, was among the first areas identified under the plan.

However, the returning IDPs and community representatives have questioned the basis of the compensation package.

Former Manipur Pradesh Youth Congress Committee (MPYCC) president Ningthoujam Popilal, speaking on behalf of the aggrieved families, pointed out that the aid amounts fall drastically short of what is required to rebuild lives from scratch.

He pointed out that in many homes, multiple families lived together in separate rooms under one roof.

"How can Rs 75,000 be divided among so many, let alone help in rebuilding their lives?" Popilal said.

He also challenged the Rs 3 lakh rebuilding aid, arguing that it was unrealistic in the current construction market.

Popilal further criticised the government for rolling back an earlier compensation package announced in November 2023 by the state home department.

That package had offered Rs 10 lakh for fully burned pucca houses, Rs 7 lakh for semi-pucca houses, and Rs 5 lakh for kutcha houses.

The current offer, he said, not only contradicts that commitment but also raises questions about the intention behind the resettlement plan being executed under President's Rule.

"The reduction in compensation from the earlier rates is baffling," he said, accusing the state administration of acting hastlh ahead of the Parliament session starting July 21."It seems these actions are being taken so the government can make a political statement that resettlement has begun, but on the ground, the needs of the displaced are not being addressed".

Popilal also alleged that despite official claims, only two IDP families from Phayeng and Kangchup Kharang have received Rs 25,000 each out of the announced Rs 1 lakh per family meant for nearly 60,000 displaced households.

He called on the authorities to ensure equitable treatment for all IDPs and to avoid selectively disbursing compensation.

The discontent among Kangchup's displaced families highlights growing frustration among IDPs across the state, many of whom have spent over two years in makeshift relief camps following the outbreak of violence between the Meetei and Kuki communities in May 2023.With the state pushing to shut down relief camps by the end of this year, displaced families are demanding a more realistic and humane approach to rehabilitation.

As the July 15 deadline for the first phase of resettlement approaches, community leaders have urged the government to review the compensation structure and engage with IDP representatives before implementing relocation measures that they say could exacerbate trauma rather than restore normalcy.

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