The Apex Committee of Meetei Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Manipur, has urged the State Government to immediately release the pending Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) assistance, stating that displaced families have not received the benefit for more than 15 days.
In a press statement, the committee said the delay has caused severe hardship to thousands of conflict-affected families who depend on the financial assistance for food, children’s education, healthcare and other essential household expenses.
The committee appealed to the government to release the pending DBT assistance within the next three days to enable affected families to meet their immediate needs.
It also urged the authorities to ensure that, from next month onwards, the DBT assistance is credited on the first day of every month. According to the committee, a fixed payment schedule would help IDP families better manage their household expenses and reduce unnecessary hardship.
The Apex Committee further called on the concerned authorities to accord priority to the welfare of internally displaced persons and ensure timely disbursement of financial assistance.
The appeal was jointly endorsed by representatives of the Churachandpur Meitei United Committee (CMUC), Meetei Council Moreh (MCM), Committee on Protection of Meetei Victims (COPMeV), Meetei Union Kangpokpi District (MUKD), Torbung Gram Panchayat Victim Committee (TGPVC) and the Apex Committee of Victim Villages (ACoVV).
