Manipur: Kangpokpi IDP committee seeks immediate release of pending DBT assistance

The Kangpokpi District Internally Displaced Welfare Committee (KDIDWC) has urged the Manipur government to immediately sanction and release the pending Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs), saying delays have left thousands of conflict-affected families struggling to meet basic needs.

The committee said the monthly DBT has become the primary source of financial support for displaced families living in relief camps and rented accommodation after losing their homes, livelihoods and property during the ethnic violence.

According to the committee, the financial assistance is used to cover school fees, food, medicines and other essential household expenses. It expressed concern that with July drawing to a close, beneficiaries were yet to receive the monthly payment.

KDIDWC claimed the delay had placed additional pressure on vulnerable families, with some students at risk of discontinuing their education because of unpaid fees, while many households were finding it difficult to afford daily necessities.

The committee urged the state government to release the pending assistance without further delay, stating that the DBT remains vital until displaced families are able to return safely to their native villages after normalcy is restored.

It also appealed to the authorities to consider the issue on humanitarian grounds, saying administrative delays should not affect the welfare and education of displaced children.

Seeking greater accountability, the committee called for a fixed monthly schedule for DBT disbursement and a transparent distribution mechanism to ensure all eligible displaced families receive the assistance without exclusion.

The committee said it would continue to press for the rights and welfare of internally displaced persons and expressed hope that the government would act promptly to ease the hardships faced by conflict-affected families.