MLA Ranjit plans new village for IDPs
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 27 2024: Sugnu MLA Ranjit is taking concrete steps to establish a new village on a five-hectare plot of farmland he owns to provide homes for families displaced from Serou and Sugnu by the current crisis in the state.

In a meeting with the displaced families, it was decided that the village will be named Serou Konok Thengra Leikai after Maichou Konok Thengra, one of Manipur's revered seven Maichous.

Talking to The People's Chronicle over the phone, MLA Ranjit recalled his efforts to maintain peace in the area following the May 3, 2023, clashes, where he initiated a peace committee composed of representatives from all communities.

Unfortunately, the fragile peace was broken when Kuki militants under the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement attacked Meetei villages in Serou and Sugnu in the wee hours of May 28, leading to loss of life, property damage, and the displacement of several residents.

During the violence, 44 Meetei homes - 17 in Sugnu Cooperative Ingkhol and 27 in Serou - were destroyed.

Most of these belonged to low-income, landless families residing on relatives' land.

Now, in line with the earlier promises he made, MLA Ranjit has begun preparations to construct new homes for the displaced families.

A construction committee formed during a joint meeting of the development committees from Serou and Sugnu on Saturday will oversee the project.

Architects will be engaged to design the houses, along with essential village amenities.

All the houses will be of same design.

The new village will feature inter-village roads, a playground, a crematorium, and other basic facilities to create a modern, self-sufficient community.

The government had promised Rs 5 lakh per displaced family under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), with some families already receiving the first instalment of Rs 75,000 .

MLA Ranjit has cbmmitted to supplementing these funds with his local area development funds and additional resources to ensure the new village will have essential utilities such as power supply and clean drinking water.

Beyond the initial 44 displaced families, he is ako considering extending housing to other landless families in the area.

The chosen site for this development is near Konok Irei, a place of historical significance where Maichou Konok Thengra is believed to have sacrificed his life by submerging in the waters.

In honour of this legacy, the community meeting also agreed to name the village as Serou Konok Thengra Leikai.

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