Kangpokpi IDPs seek release of pending DBT, give Manipur government five-day deadline

Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs), including students, women, elderly people and families living in relief camps and rented accommodations, staged a protest at the Kangpokpi district headquarters on Friday, seeking the immediate release of pending Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) assistance.

The protest was organised by the Kangpokpi District Internally Displaced Welfare Committee (KDIDWC), which said the monthly financial assistance had become a crucial source of support for families displaced by the ethnic conflict.

Protesters held placards highlighting concerns over access to food, medicines and education, while also calling for equal treatment of displaced persons living both inside and outside relief camps.

The committee later submitted a memorandum addressed to the Manipur chief minister through Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, urging the government to release the pending DBT for July and ensure the continuation of monthly assistance until displaced families are safely resettled and able to rebuild their livelihoods.

The KDIDWC said many displaced families had lost their homes, agricultural land and sources of income and remained dependent on government support to meet essential expenses.

According to the committee, the financial assistance is used for purchasing food and household necessities, paying school fees and examination charges, buying books and uniforms, and meeting medical and healthcare expenses.

The committee expressed concern that delays in the release of DBT could affect the education of displaced students and make it more difficult for vulnerable families to meet their daily needs. It claimed that no registered IDP in Kangpokpi district had received the assistance for July as the month drew to a close.

The KDIDWC sought the immediate release of pending assistance for all registered beneficiaries, continuation of monthly DBT until displaced families are safely rehabilitated, and the establishment of a fixed and transparent timeline for disbursement.

The committee said it was willing to cooperate with the government in beneficiary verification and distribution processes. It appealed to the state government and concerned departments to treat the issue as a priority and ensure that eligible displaced families receive assistance without exclusion or discrimination.

The protesters gave the government five days to address their concerns and said they would consider intensifying their democratic agitation if the pending assistance was not released within the stipulated period.