Over 10,000 IDPs resettled under phased rehabilitation plan: Manipur govt

Imphal, Dec 31: The Manipur government has said that more than 10,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from over 2,200 households have been resettled across the state.

The government, on Tuesday, maintained that the exercise is being undertaken cautiously to ensure safety, dignity and long-term stability for those returning.

From November 1, 2025, assistance to IDPs residing in camps has been shifted to the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode to provide beneficiaries greater flexibility.

Additional support is being extended through healthcare services, educational facilities and livelihood programmes, including rural employment guarantee schemes and Self-Help Group initiatives.

Officials also added that the steady decline in incidents of violence since November 2024 has helped create conditions conducive for initiating the resettlement process, which is being carried out in close coordination with security forces and the displaced families.

The resettlement drive is being implemented under a Rs 523-crore Resettlement and Rehabilitation Package, announced in the Manipur Budget 2025–26.

The plan is structured in three phases - resettlement of families whose houses were partially damaged; rehabilitation under a special PMAY-G package within districts and inter-district relocation between valley and hill areas where required.

Officials said funds have already been released to Deputy Commissioners and transferred directly to beneficiaries.

So far, the state government has released Rs 35.46 crore for the construction of houses and Rs 9.26 crore for the repair of partially damaged homes. Around 4,000 houses are currently under construction at various stages as part of the resettlement process.

To oversee implementation, a State-Level Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary, with the Director General of Police and senior officials from key departments as members, has been constituted.

District-level committees headed by Deputy Commissioners are also holding regular reviews to monitor progress and address operational challenges.

Alongside rehabilitation efforts, the government said it is strengthening security arrangements and confidence-building measures to facilitate the safe return of displaced families.

Security posts are being established in vulnerable villages with the involvement of the state police, Central Armed Police Forces and the Assam Rifles and Army.

Officials stressed that resettlement will not be rushed without adequate security and people-to-people confidence-building, underscoring that humanitarian urgency must be balanced with long-term peace and stability.