Govt eyeing IDP resettlement, relief camp closure by Dec
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 04 2025: Chief secretary Prashant Kumar Singh has said that the government is working towards resettling all the persons displaced by the violence since May 3, 2023 in three phases - July, October and December this year.

State government is also planning to shut down all relief camps by December this year after resettlement of the internally displaced persons (IDPs), Prashant Kumar said responding to queries by media persons as he came out of Hotel Imphal after attending 2nd Foundation Day celebration of Manipur State Commission for Scheduled Tribes (MSCST) on Friday.

According to chief secretary Prashant, the state government had coordinated discussions with the Centre and the Ministry of Home Affairs several times, resulting in a phased plan for the return and rehabilitation of the displaced persons.

We have had a good round of discussions with the central government and MHA on problems and conditions of displaced persons and their rehabilitation.

The first phase resettlement plan involves those who can go back immediately - by July, and that process has already begun.

The second phase of return is being planned for October, followed by the third and final round by December.

Assessment for Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts have already begun, he said adding that the number of displaced persons has come down from 62,000 to 57,000 as around 5,000 have already been resettled.

While acknowledging that 8,000-10,000 displaced people may not be able to return to their original homes even after December particularly those displaced from areas like Moreh, Churachandpur and Kangpokpi, the chief secretary said these people will be accommodated in pre-fabricated houses and an additional 1,000 units are being constructed for this purpose.

To support the displaced persons in rebuilding their homes, financial assistance of Rs 3.03 lakh will be provided for those whose houses have been destroyed in the violence.

Financial assistance will also be provided for repairing of houses not destroyed but dilapidated due to abandonment or neglect for over two years, he added.

To another query regarding restoration of free movement, the chief secretary replied that the central and state governments along with civil society organisations (CSOs) and community leaders are all working together to restore free movement and progress is being made.

He also expressed hope that free movement would be restored very soon while citing positive developments on the ground.

The chief secretary also claimed that farming activities resumed on both sides of the divide and farmers are working within eye-ball distance and even sharing water.

This indeed is a good sign though one or two incidents might still happen as mischievous elements are everywhere, he said.

When asked about the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the state, Prashant Kumar Singh replied that there has been no confirmation of the PM's visit but several major infrastructure projects are ready for inauguration including the new Civil Secretariat complex in Imphal and Manipur Bhavans in Delhi and Kolkata.

To another poser, the chief secretary replied that Aadhaar registration in the state will be stricter with even update of Aadhaar for citizens attaining 18 years of age entailing physical verification by the department concerned.

Birth registration will also be required in PAN, Aadhaar registration and government will closely monitor to identify fake Aadhaar, he added.

Earlier, addressing the gathering at the event held on the theme 'Promoting unity in diversity', Prashant Kumar Singh proposed that the next Foundation Day celebration of MSCST be held in one of the hill districts to ensure broader participation from the tribal communities.

According to Prashant Kumar Singh, India's diversity is one of its greatest strengths and Manipur exemplifies this even more vividly with each district in the state having own unique language, culture, dance forms, dialects and traditions.

He then appealed for cooperation and support from all the communities to restore peace and normalcy in the state.

The event was also attended by MSCST chairperson T Mathieu Rongmei, who pointed out the persistent challenges faced by the commission, particularly the limited financial resources provided through grant-in-aid from the state government.

Despite the paucity of funds, he noted that the commission has been actively fulfilling its responsibilities including conducting administrative functions, undertaking district tours, organising legal awareness programmes, and facilitating health and skill training initiatives in various parts of the state.

Additional chief secretary (finance) Vivek Dewangan, Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW) chairperson Thumlip Tiningpham Monsang, additional chief secretary (TA & H) Anurag Bajpai, advocate general Lenin Singh Hijam and commissioner (home) N Ashok Kumar also attended the event.

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