RS MP urges rehab package for IDPs
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 12 2025: Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba has urged the Government for a special rehabilitation package for the displaced people and their planned return to their original villages.

He made this appeal in the Parliament yesterday during a discussion on the Manipur Budget for 2025-26.Seeking the attention of the Union Government, Leishemba said there are around 55,659 persons, belonging to around 10,000 households, staying in as many as 262 relief camps across the State.

Even after 2 years since the start of the conflict on May 3, 2023, these people are languishing in the relief camps desperately in need of rehabilitation, Leishemba said.

The displaced people need a proper rehabilitation and relief package, and they must be allowed to return to their original villages and homes for them to start their lives anew, he added.

Due to concerted efforts of the Central Government and the State, the law and order situation in Manipur has improved and it is strongly believed that normalcy will return soon.

However, it is necessary to open the Highways and allow free movement of people for normalcy to return, said the MP.

For more than 2 years, people belonging to the Chin-Kuki communities have been blocking the National Highway-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) and National Highway-37 (Imphal-Jiribam), restricting movement of people belonging to the Meitei community.

Therefore, it is highly necessary for the Union Government to allow free movement by opening the Highways to all people, Leishemba said.

Further, the State has been facing the issue of illegal immigration from Myanmar and Bangladesh for decades.

The President Rule Government must follow the direction given by the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 19 to detect, identify and deport all illegal immigrants from the neighbouring countries, Leishemba said.

More importantly, any census or delimitation exercises in Manipur must be done after identification and deportation of illegal immigrants based on the cut-off year 1961, he asserted.

Elaborating on the issue of infiltration from the neighbouring countries, Leishemba emphasised Manipur shares a 398 kilometres long border with Myanmar, and a more "robust and neutral force like the Border Security Force" must be deployed to curb infiltration into the State.

The MP also touched on the issue pertaining to the State governance, and said, a popular Government is preferred by the people in a democracy.

Leishemba urged the Union Government to allow formation of a popular Government in Manipur once the law and order situation becomes conducive.

On the Budget, Leishemba said the Union Government allocating Rs 30,969.44 crore for Manipur would help improve the overall economy of the State and enable rehabilitation of the displaced people.

The budget would help in bringing stability and restoring normalcy, he added.

From the total budget, Leishemba noted that Rs 1,065 crore has been allocated for relief and rehabilitation of the displaced people, Rs 5,241 crore for security and infrastructure and Rs 11,520 for social and development sector.

He appreciated the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the Finance Minister for the budget.

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