Displaced families decry slashed housing aid, demand Manipur govt to reconsider relief package

Amidst the Manipur government’s ongoing efforts to rehabilitate Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), affected families have voiced strong dissatisfaction over the recently revised financial aid for reconstructing destroyed homes.

Addressing the media at a press conference today, Ningthoujam Popilal, a resident of Phayeng, said that many residents of his village were displaced during the ongoing ethnic conflict. While appreciating the government’s broader resettlement initiatives, he expressed disappointment with the reduced financial assistance, calling it “inadequate and unrealistic.”

“We wholeheartedly support the resettlement efforts, but the current aid amount is disheartening,” he said. “It’s not even enough to meet basic reconstruction needs.”

Popilal recalled that on November 9, 2023, the state government had announced a compensation package of ₹10 lakh for fully burnt pucca houses, ₹7 lakh for semi-pucca, and ₹5 lakh for kutcha houses. Partially damaged homes were to be compensated based on the extent of damage.

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However, a new government notification issued on June 5, 2025, drastically reduced the financial aid. Under the revised guidelines, families are now entitled to only ₹3 lakh for rebuilding houses and ₹75,000 per family for the resettlement process.

“Just ₹75,000 per house is not feasible,” Popilal said. “In Manipur, where poverty is widespread, it’s common for multiple families to live in one house. This amount won’t suffice, and I’m sure other IDPs feel the same way.”

Calling on the government to re-evaluate and revise the aid package, Popilal reminded that the crisis was not a result of public actions but rather a failure of law and order. “The victims deserve adequate support to rebuild their lives with dignity,” he added.

The displaced families are now urging the government to restore the previously announced aid levels, warning that insufficient support could derail the peace-building and rehabilitation process.